Outcasts and Secrets
by saiken2009
Summary: The Monkees have secrets from each other, the world, and ones hidden from each other. But nothing stays secret for very long. A secret organization is on the move and need the Monkees help in order to take over the world. Can the Monkees stop them in time? Rated M for sexual themes, violence and language.
1. Unearthing Secrets

Author's Note: I'm going to test the waters and start writing again thanks to the support and love of my two beautiful friends and hopefully fans, Di and Mhairi. Because of that, this is dedicated to both of them. This will be set in a present era cause for what I want to do it's hard to write for 60s tech. Hopefully you won't feel much of a difference though. Also, I reuse some names I've already used in the past, but I just love them so much, so sorry if it causes any confusion, but hopefully not.

Chapter 1: Unearthing Secrets

Somewhere outside of Phoenix, Arizona in a deserted patch of dirt, dozens of men were working by moonlight. A campfire glowed nearby to keep the coyotes and javelinas away from their camp site. The men were gathered around a freshly dug hole in the ground, whispering to each other despite the isolation; their boss was nearby and he had very good hearing.

"I don't understand what we're doing out here," said a blonde haired man. "Why do we have to dig at night?"

"So someone doesn't see us," a brunette answered.

"It's pitch fucking black out here," a man with long sandy hair said. "Who's gonna see us? The damn coyotes will eat us out here pretty soon."

"Then I guess you had better hurry up and find what I asked you to find," said a fourth man with short brown hair emerging from a nearby tent. "I don't pay you to complain. I pay you to dig."

"Yes, sir," the blonde said digging the shovel into the ground once more. He knew they'd been out here days already digging holes and filling them in when they found nothing. He wasn't sure what his boss expected him to find, but the secrecy and urgency suggested it was something important. They'd been promised riches if they found it. Though he wasn't sure what "it" was. All the boss said was that it was something buried deep in the desert. He knew cowboys often buried their treasure out here, so maybe he'd get a cut of the profits from finding such a booty.

Within fifteen minutes, he noticed the air around them had fallen deadly silent. The coyotes stopped howling, the owls stopped hooting. Even the wind stopped blowing. He stopped for a moment to look around. The men working with him noticed, too. He dug his shovel into the ground once more and heard a strong metallic "ting" as it struck something. They'd found something. The three men dropped down into the four foot hole they'd dug and started brushing off dirt. A small metallic box with strange carvings etched into the side seemed to glow as he reached out to touch it. It felt warm under his fingers. He saw a latch on the front of the box and moved to open it, hoping to catch even a glimpse of the treasure locked inside.

When his fingers met the latch, however, a strong gust of wind seemed to emanate from the box blowing some sort of sand and dirt at him. At first it seemed a nuisance, but then he realized his flesh was burning. The three men screamed in agony while their boss backed away from the spot he stood above them, escaping the blast engulfing them.

"I found it," the man said over the screams of the dying men. "I finally found it."

* * *

Mike Nesmith watched his friend down on the beach from the room they shared on the second floor of the Pad. They had a large and beautiful beach house they could barely afford, but Mike would never want to leave it. Too many good memories. Down below, his friend Micky Dolenz sat on the beach watching the waves roll in. He was sullen this time of year and Mike knew why. It was a secret only the two of them shared. They hadn't told their friends Davy Jones or Peter Tork who were now slowly walking towards Micky holding a box. Mike often felt they were outright lying to their best friends, but knew he just couldn't tell them the truth. They had to lie by omission. To protect them.

"Hey, Micky," Peter said sitting down next to Micky on the sand.

"We got you a little something," Davy said handing the box to Micky.

"Why?" Micky asked looking at it with confusion.

"Because even though you never tell us why, we know you always get sad this time of year," Davy smiled.

"Not that you have to tell us," Peter added. "We just want you to feel better." Mike smiled to himself. They'd been friends nearly 3 years now, and each year they grew closer together. Mike saw these two men as his little brothers. Just like he saw Micky as his little brother long before he had met Peter and Davy.

"You guys didn't have to do that," Micky said. "I'm fine."

"I disagree," Davy said. "For about a week every year this time of year ever since we've known you, you're distant and always look really sad."

"We're your friends and we want to help you," Peter added.

"Thanks," Micky smiled. Mike knew no gift in the world could make his friend feel better. Mike had been trying for years. Nothing got through to him. Micky opened the box and pulled out a brand new pair of drumsticks.

"We know you don't need them, but we wanted you to have them anyway," Peter smiled. Peter's smile was infectious. Even from all the way up here, Mike smiled seeing the happiness on his friend's face. Micky smiled too, though it wasn't as bright as it usually was.

"Thanks, guys," Micky said putting the sticks back in the box. "I appreciate it, but you guys don't have to do things for me. I'm fine."

"Really?" Davy asked skeptically.

"Yes," Micky lied. "I'm gonna go for a walk if you don't mind. I just wanna think about some things."

"Ok," Peter said. "We'll put this on the counter." Micky nodded and stood up. He offered each of them a smile before starting down the beach. Mike's curiosity was peaked. For years, Micky had often disappeared at night. The sun was just beginning to set and Mike wanted to know what Micky was doing; where he was disappearing to so often. So he slipped on a jacket, shoes and grabbed his hat before quietly slipping out the front door. He spotted Micky pretty quickly, who had just driven down the street on one of the little mopeds they used for getting around short distances. Mike had the keys for the bright red Monkeemobile in his pocket and decided to follow in that. Micky might notice the band's car behind him, so Mike was very discreet and stayed a good distance behind. Luckily Micky never seemed to look back.

Following his friend like this felt like a betrayal, but he didn't know what else to do to help his friend. He needed to figure out what Micky was doing and where he was going if he had any hope of offering any kind of emotional help. Micky hadn't gone very far when he parked the moped outside a little building Mike had never been too. Reading the sign, Mike didn't want to go inside. He knew what Micky was doing here and he didn't need to see it. Mike sighed and waited in the car, parking it next to the moped. Not sure of how to deal with this, but he knew he had to confront Micky. Of all the things Micky could be doing, going here was the most unhealthy. When Micky finally emerged half an hour later, Mike got out of the car and leaned against it, arms crossed across his chest.

"Nice walk?" Mike asked when Micky approached. Micky must not have seen him because he jumped a little.

"Don't do that…" Micky started. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Mike said. "A strip club? That'd be the last place I'd think you'd ever go."

"You followed me?" Micky asked.

"Micky, you think this is ok?" Mike asked ignoring the question.

"I really don't care," Micky said. "It's my business and it's my life."

"If this is how you're dealing with this...Micky, it's not healthy!" Mike said getting a little angry. He was already angry at Micky for being here, but he had told himself for half an hour in the car Micky didn't know how else to cope.

"Stay out of this," Micky said. "Don't you ever follow me again." Before Mike could say anything else, Micky got on his moped and sped off. Mike wasn't sure what he should do now, but he knew someone who might be able to help him. He was supposed to meet her tonight anyway.

An hour later he was sitting in a hotel room waiting for her to show up. It was dark by now and she liked to move at night. When she slipped her key in the lock that he'd left at the front office for her, he stood up to greet her. Butterflies flied around his stomach when he saw her. Beautiful chestnut hair draped perfectly around her pale face accentuating her features and beautiful brown eyes. She smiled at him and neither said a word to each other as they moved to kiss. The butterflies in his stomach seemed satisfied as they calmed down.

"We need to talk," Mike said, regrettably pushing her away.

"Really?" she asked running her fingers across his chest. "I haven't seen you in a month and you want to talk?"

"It's Micky," Mike sighed sitting back down on the bed.

"What about him?" she asked looking concerned now.

"I followed him to a strip club tonight," Mike answered. "He's not dealing with this very well."

"A strip club?" she asked incredulously.

"I have to tell him," Mike said.

"You can't do that," she answered. "You know as well as I do what will happen if you tell him."

"Is that really any worse than what he's doing to himself right now!?" Mike snapped.

"He's alive right now," she said. "You tell him any of this, he won't be."

"I can't keep lying to him," Mike said.

"I only need a little more time, Mike," she said. "Just give me a little more time. I'm almost there. I almost have this all wrapped up. When this is taken care of, I swear you can tell him. He'll be safe then. You tell him now, he's gonna go crazy and get himself killed. Let me fix this first. Please."

"You found them?" Mike asked hopefully.

"Maybe," she answered.

"Tell me," Mike prodded.

"I think I did," she said. "I don't have the proof and I'm trying to get in, but I think I found him. He's back."

"Are you sure this is safe for you?" Mike asked worried.

"I'm trained for this," she answered.

"That's not really an answer," Mike said.

"I know," she answered. "I don't have an answer for you. But you remember what I said?"

"If you miss a meeting with me, something happened," Mike sighed. He couldn't even imagine it.

"And only then can you tell Micky," she said.

"Tell him to look for Maxie and Krystal," Mike said. "Even though I have no idea what that means."

"The less you know, the safer you are," she said leaning over to kiss him again.

"I can protect myself," Mike smiled.

"Yes, I know," she smiled back. "But you're rusty."

"Not that rusty," Mike laughed. He didn't get rid of the feeling of fear and despair he held for his best friend, but somehow when she held him and kissed him, some of his worry disappeared. He knew he'd have to talk to Micky, but he would figure out the details later. For now he would just enjoy being with the woman he loved with all his heart.


	2. Missing

Author's Note: So here's chapter 2. I really hope you guys like it and I'm extremely thankful to my lovely friends Di and Mhairi. If it weren't for them, I don't know that I'd have the courage to open my heart at least a little again. There are others that encouraged me as well, but these two pushed me to really write this story.

Chapter 2: Missing

If Peter had felt bad before about Micky being upset, he felt even worse now. After Davy had returned to their home, they'd looked for Mike, but they couldn't find him. They'd gone to bed before either Micky or Mike had gotten home, but they knew the next day something had happened. When Mike entered a room, Micky left it. He tried to ask Micky what was wrong, but Micky waved them off saying he was tired. Mike had begun sleeping on the couch in the living room and Peter decided three days had been long enough. He was going to go talk to Mike and get some answers. He steeled himself to confront his best friend and walked into the living room. But Mike wasn't there. Peter checked his watch in confusion. It was nearing midnight. Mike should be home by now. He looked up and saw Micky sitting outside on the porch.

"Peter, come to bed," Davy said with a small yawn.

"I think I'm gonna talk to Micky again," Peter said. If Mike wasn't here, he'd just confront Micky and refuse to leave without an answer. That was hard for Peter, but so was watching the dance his friends were doing to avoid each other. Peter made his way toward the door that led to their back patio and had only just approached it when he saw Mike walk towards Micky up the back steps.

"Don't leave," Peter heard Mike say through the open window next to the door as Micky moved to get up.

"I really have nothing to say to you," Micky said. Peter started to back away not wanting to eavesdrop, but Davy pushed him back.

"Don't you wanna know what's wrong with them?" Davy asked.

"Of course, but eavesdropping is wrong," Peter said.

"Well, they aren't going to tell us, so this is how we find out," Davy argued. "I know it's wrong, but so is what they're doing to each other." Peter almost put up another argument, but couldn't think of any. Yes, eavesdropping was wrong, but his curiosity and concern got the best of him.

"I know you don't wanna talk to me, but…" Mike had said slowly enough for Peter to hear over Davy's pleas. "We have to."

"Mike, you shouldn't have followed me and that's all I'm going to say," Micky said. "Where I go is my own business."

"It's not that," Mike said. The tone in his voice sounded heavy, as though he were carrying a large weight around. "I...I really don't know how to tell you this. You're probably going to want to kill me…"

"I may be mad, but I would never kill you," Micky said. Peter didn't know why, but he felt relief wash over him. Mike had never spoken like that before. Whatever Mike had to say, it must have been serious, but Micky seemed to be relaxing a little.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Mike said. "I...I have been sorta seeing your sister, Rose."

"Yes, I know," Micky laughed. "Five years ago when we all lived together."

"No," Mike said. "A few days ago. For a year."

"What?" Micky asked confused.

"I ran into her a year ago," Mike said. "I know I should have told you, but I figured you were still really mad at her and she asked me not to."

"Of course I'm still mad at her," Micky said getting angry again. "She turned her back on me! On you!"

"I know, but she had a very good reason for that," Mike said.

"What would that be?" Micky asked.

"She needed to stay behind to fix some things," Mike answered.

"Fix what things?" Micky asked.

"She found out that...someone betrayed all of you," Mike said with a heavy sigh. "She needed to find proof and fix it. Prove he set you up. So we could go home if we wanted."

"I know someone betrayed me," Micky snapped jumping up. "For the very fact that I was set up! Who was it? Did she tell you?"

"Yes, but this is the part where you might kill me," Mike said. "You really need to take a deep breath and just trust me. Trust her."

"Mike?" Micky pushed impatiently.

"Robert," Mike answered quietly; almost too quietly for Micky to hear.

"Robert; as in my father?" Micky demanded angrily.

"I know it's hard for you to believe, but I do," Mike said quickly trying to appease Micky. Micky was now pacing on the porch and Davy and Peter backed into the shadows more to avoid being seen. A pang of guilt washed through Peter. They really shouldn't be doing this. "I never made a secret of the fact I never trusted him; I always thought he was creepy and he kicked you out. His own son. If he loved you, he never would have thrown you out like that."

"That's a far cry from setting me up," Micky said quietly.

"I know," Mike said.

"Then what makes her think it was him?" Micky asked.

"Remember when she was acting very strangely?" Mike asked. "About a year before any of this happened? When we thought something was happening to her but we didn't know what?"

"What, are you saying he did something to her?"

"Yes."

"Like what, he hit her? He's the one who broke her wrist? Why would he do that?"

"Do you believe me?"

"I don't know yet. I can't see him as hurting anyone. I never said I thought he was a good father, but he's not an abuser. Why would he hurt her?"

"She wasn't his daughter."

"So? Still doesn't explain why he'd do something like break her wrist."

"She said he twisted it to keep her quiet."

"Quiet about what?"

"About...him sneaking into her room when the rest of us were asleep."

"What? Why would he do that?"

"Micky, I really don't wanna have to spell it out for you. Hell, I don't even want to tell you. But he...he's a sick person. Why else would a grown man sneak into a 17 year old's room in the middle of the night? Why did I used to do it?"

"Well, you two were dating and…" Micky trailed off and Peter's heart sank. He heard Davy let out a quiet gasp. Peter wasn't stupid. He knew what Mike meant. They all did.

"Micky, I'm sorry," Mike said.

"Why wouldn't you tell me something like that!?" Micky shouted.

"She told me not to," Mike said. "She said she knew you'd get upset and try to kill him and only end up getting yourself killed. I can't say as I disagree with her. And that was only if you even believed her."

"She's my sister."

"And he's your father."

"We've already established he's not a very good one."

"Look, Micky, the only reason I'm telling you any of this is because she didn't show up tonight."

"So? Maybe she forgot."

"No, she said if she ever missed a meeting...something had happened to her. She's missing, Micky. She told me to tell you if something happened to her." Both Mike and Micky fell silent for a moment. "I'm sorry, Micky. I understand this is hard for you to take in and I understand how mad you must be at me."

"I just never thought my own father would be capable of-" Micky didn't get to finish speaking. Or at least Peter didn't hear it. There was a loud noise behind them and Peter and Davy whirled around to see four men standing in the doorway.

"Who are you?" Davy asked a little shakily.

"Where are the Assassins?" one of them asked pointing a very deadly looking gun straight at Peter and Davy.

"Who?!" Peter asked confused.

"Don't play stupid, boy," the second asked. "Your friends. Where are they?"

"We really have no idea what you're talking about," Davy said backing slowly toward the back door. Peter chanced a quick glimpse over his shoulder but saw nothing outside. Micky and Mike were both gone.

"Maybe a bullet through the knee will help jog your memory," the first man said.

"What!?" Peter and Davy exclaimed in unison.

"I think you have the wrong house," Peter heard Mike say from upstairs. Peter wasn't sure how Mike had gotten up there, but supposed he must have climbed up the side of the house.

"You're the Nesmith boy," the second man smiled. The third man had yet to speak; he just kept looking around intently.

"Yeah, I am," Mike said. "Guess maybe you have the right house after all." Peter jumped when suddenly Micky popped out from behind the men through the front door, looped a wire around the first man's arms and yanked. The man was surprised and dropped the gun to the floor as he fell backwards. The other two men turned on Micky, ready to fight him, but Micky moved faster than Peter had ever seen him move before. He slipped back out the front door and ran. Just in that moment, Mike jumped over the side of the railing on the stairs and landed on the second man, knocking him to the floor. Both men didn't move, but the third had taken off after Micky. Mike quickly scooped up the gun the first man had dropped.

"Get in the car, now!" Mike barked at Peter and Davy before taking off after the third man.

"What's going on!?" Davy exclaimed.

"Just go!" Mike yelled back at them. Peter and Davy ran through the front door, leaping over the two unconscious men and toward the car. Davy and Peter were startled when Micky popped out of the bushes.

"Get the car started and stay in it," Micky said.

"But-" Peter started, but Micky wasn't listening. He went back in the house. This time Peter and Davy stayed put. His curiosity had his stomach in knots, but he was really far too terrified to do anything. Davy jumped behind the driver's seat and started the engine. After a few minutes, another man walked up to them. Peter tensed, but stood there.

"Where are you two going?" the man asked taking out a second gun.

"Nowhere," Davy squeaked. The man didn't say anything else. He just smiled and raised the gun at Peter. Peter heard the gun go off, but had no idea where the bullet went. Mike had run up behind the man and knocked him over the head with a rather large piece of wood.

"You guys ok?" Mike asked.

"I think so," Davy said. Peter felt numb. He had no idea what was going on and he was terrified.

"What happened?" Micky asked running out of the house.

"Peter!" Mike exclaimed rushing over to him. It was only in the moment that he saw the look of fear and panic on all three of his friends faces directed at him that he realized the bullet had torn through his shoulder. He felt no pain at all, but somehow his legs stopped working and he collapsed.

"We need to go," Micky said catching Peter in his arms before he hit the ground.

"Did they tell you anything?" Mike asked.

"That more are coming for us," Micky said. "And that they know about Peter and Davy."

"Which means they're in danger now," Mike sighed.

"Will someone please tell me what the bloody hell is going on!?" Davy exclaimed.

"We have to take them with us," Mike said ignoring Davy as he helped Micky get Peter into the car. Micky pulled out a handkerchief and pushed it against Peter's shoulder. Peter groaned, finally feeling pain as Mike shooed Davy out of the driver's seat.

"Where is that exactly?" Micky asked as Mike sped off.

"The hospital!" Davy yelled.

"No," Mike said.

"HAVE THE TWO OF YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MINDS!?" Davy screamed. "THEY SHOT PETER! HE NEEDS A HOSPITAL!"

"Too open," Mike said.

"Davy, you are just going to have to trust us right now," Micky said.

"Rose said if anything ever happened to look for Krystal and Maxie," Mike said. Peter could hear sirens in the distance and wondered why they were leaving. "Do you have any idea what that means?"

"Yes, do you remember that mine we used to play in when we were kids?" Micky asked.

"Yes," Mike answered.

"There's a shack near the entrance," Micky said. "Rose and I took care of two cats that were hurt pretty bad one summer you were in Texas. We'd go to the shack and feed them. If she hid something for me, it'd be there."

"Got it," Mike said making a sharp turn that sent pain down Peter's arm. He winced in pain and Davy shot him a worried look.

"Ok, if someone doesn't explain to me what the hell just happened, I'm jumping out of this car and going to the cops," Davy said. "Those guys said they were looking for you and they called you "Assassins" and you two took them out like it was nothing! And why aren't we taking Peter to a hospital!?"


	3. Secrets Societies

Author's Note: Haven't really had any reviews yet save for the people I wrote the store for, so I'm hoping other people like it too. If you don't leave me a review, I don't know if you like it and I tend not to write as much or as often. So please, review if you like it!

Chapter 3: Secret Societies

"We're gonna have to tell them now, Mike," Micky said. He really didn't want to have this conversation with his two best friends; he didn't want to drag them into this fight. It was Mike and Micky's fight, not theirs. But pushing the cloth against Peter's shoulder reminded him that they'd been pulled in anyway. Just because they were close. It wasn't fair that Peter had gotten shot for no reason, but it wasn't right to keep the truth from them. Peter hadn't said much of anything, but Davy was about to lose his mind and Micky didn't want that. "It's not fair to not tell them. They're in danger because of us."

"Yeah, I know," Mike said, his tone echoing Micky's apprehension.

"We're in danger a lot," Peter said trying to laugh, but winced in pain.

"Not like this," Mike said solemnly.

"Just hold still for a bit, okay?" Micky said. "At least until the bleeding stops."

"Why aren't we going to a hospital?" Davy asked again.

"Because it's too open," Micky said. "We'd be sitting ducks."

"You took those guys out," Davy said.

"There's more of them," Mike said. "And if they're coming after us again, we'd be easy prey in a hospital."

"Hospitals are supposed to be safe," Peter said.

"They are for normal people," Micky said. "If you aren't wanted."

"Wanted?" Davy asked.

"Just start from the beginning," Mike said.

"Right," Micky said taking a deep breath. He knew the drive was gonna be a long one, so he didn't really have an excuse not to anymore. "Historically, there have been people or groups of people who want power and do whatever it takes to get it, right? Germany is the most recent example. But it goes back much, much farther than that. Do you guys remember who the Knights Templar were?"

"They were that religious group that started the crusades?" Peter asked. "That was thousands of years ago and they died off."

"Yes," Mike said. "They wanted to create a world under God. A purely Christian world. Over time, their Christian values were lost and they sought only power. They sought to create a world under their rule."

"King Philip ordered them eliminated when he found out they were killing innocent people to get what they want," Micky added. "The Pope in the 14th century rounded as many of them up as he could and eliminated them. But they were never killed, they just went underground. Became secret. But they always tried to achieve their goals of world domination. They just couldn't do it openly anymore."

"How do you know all this?" Davy asked skeptically. "That's not what I was taught in school."

"You wouldn't have been," Mike said. "They became one of the most secret societies in history."

"There's only one other society that is even more secret than that," Micky said. "The group of people who have tried to stop them. They work in even more secret. No one but the templars even know they exist. They will stop at nothing to stop the templars and save innocent lives. Save the world. And no one has ever even heard of them."

"Assassins," Mike said.

"That's what those guys said," Peter said with a bit of clarity. "They were looking for Assassins. But they were looking for you."

"Yes," Micky said. "They were. Because the group is so secret, the only real way to find out about it is to be born into it or to be saved by one. Mike and I were born into it."

"You what?" Davy asked a little dumbfounded. "You're joking right? This is all just a really bad joke?"

"I wish it were," Mike said. "Micky's parents and mine were Assassins."

"Your parents murdered people?" Peter asked.

"Not murder," Micky said defensively, though he knew that's how the rest of the world would see them. "Our parents killed Templars. People who would kill innocent people so they can rule over humanity. These are really bad people."

"These people can't be arrested and brought on trial, Peter," Mike said. "They have friends in very high places if they aren't in those high places themselves."

"What do you mean?" Davy asked.

"That's why we aren't going to a hospital," Micky said. "Templars could be anyone. Doctors, lawyers, cops, priests, mayors. You name it. Especially if they have any power."

"How is that possible?" Peter asked. "If they killed people, they should be in jail!"

"That's the problem," Mike said. "There is never any proof. They've been doing this for centuries, just like we have. We all know how to cover our tracks."

"And if there ever is any proof, their friends make it go away," Micky said. "They're incredibly charismatic if they need to be."

"Or well funded," Mike added.

"This can't possibly be real," Davy mumbled.

"Remember when I said Germany was the most recent example of people wanting to take over the world?" Micky asked sighing.

"You're talking about Hitler?" Peter asked.

"Yes," Micky said. "He was a Templar. He killed people, slaughtered them, but people still followed him. Because he was incredibly charismatic. That happens everywhere, just not usually to that degree."

"Hitler was a templar?" Davy asked skeptically.

"Yes," Mike answered. "And he didn't kill himself. Men like that...they don't just give up. He went down into that bunker with a man he trusted knowing there was a secret exit. But that man he trusted was an Assassin. So many people tried to get close to him, but they all failed. Until that day in the bunker. All his other trusted confidants were being captured or killed, so he went down with that man. They planned to wait until dark and sneak out. The Assassin gave him a pill to help him sleep. He had no idea it was cyanide till it was too late. The Assassin used that escape hatch and slipped away, leaving Hitler behind for the Americans to find."

"What!?" Davy asked. "How do you know that!?"

"Cause Micky's uncle did it," Mike said. "Micky's uncle was in that bunker. History doesn't even know his name."

"I know this is a lot to take in and a lot to believe, but we couldn't even make this up if we tried," Micky said.

"So do you guys go around killing people when we're asleep?" Peter asked.

"No," Micky answered. "We left the Assassins five years ago."

"You said you were kicked out," Davy said.

"How long were you guys eavesdropping?" Mike asked with a hint of annoyance.

"I told Davy it was wrong," Peter said wincing in pain again. "But we were upset that you guys weren't talking to each other and didn't know why. We just wanted to know what was going on so we could help you. I'm sorry."

"Calm down, Peter," Micky said. He was upset with them for eavesdropping, but the bleeding had almost stopped and Micky didn't want Peter to make things worse again. "We're sorry for fighting. And yes, I was kicked out. There was this girl...she was the daughter of a powerful Templar, but she didn't want anything to do with him. I found out he was hurting her and tried to help her. She gave us secrets and because of her, we got to a lot of Templars and stopped them from killing a bunch of innocent people. She was a good person and I fell in love with her. But people couldn't get past who she was by birth. They hated her and many wanted her dead once she outlived her usefulness. They thought she was just using us to save herself from her father; that she wasn't loyal to anyone but herself."

"Which was a bunch of crap," Mike snorted.

"Yes," Micky said. "They all knew I had a thing for her, so when she...when she died, they blamed me."

"You loved her?" Peter asked and Micky nodded, trying desperately to keep his emotions in check. He never wanted to relive that moment in his life ever again. The moment he heard she'd been killed. "I'm sorry, Micky."

"Why would they kick you out for that?" Davy asked. "If you said they wanted her dead and thought she was a Templar…"

"Because we can't just kill people whenever we please," Mike said. "We need proof of their crimes and proof they can't be brought to justice by other means. We need permission to kill. No one gave permission for her because there was no evidence she committed any crimes. Because she hadn't."

"Why would they think you killed her?" Peter asked looking at Micky with a pang of sympathy. "If you loved her?"

"They said he found out she was using him and he killed her in a fit of rage," Mike answered for him. Micky suddenly found it very hard to talk. "There was evidence against him, but not enough to try him, so his father just kicked him out of the Brotherhood."

"Brotherhood?" Davy asked.

"Our family," Mike answered. "Extended family, anyway. Brotherhood of Assassins."

"Mike came with me," Micky said softly. "He always knew I was innocent. He was so enraged, he walked away."

"Wait, I thought you were from Texas, Mike?" Davy asked.

"I am," Mike answered. "My parents died when I was 3 and Micky's mother took me in. She and my mother were best friends. My aunt didn't have the resources to protect me and train me. Micky's mother did. But I still spent summers and holidays with my aunt."

"Protect you?" Peter asked.

"I was an Assassin by birth," Mike said. "That made me a target. Baby or not."

"What?" Davy asked. "They'd kill babies?"

"They have," Micky answered. "They've pillaged and destroyed dozens of Assassin Dens across the world for centuries. When they find an Assassin Den, the rarely take prisoners. No matter how old."

"Why?" Peter asked.

"They have no regard for human life," Micky said. "None. Humans just get in their way. They're expendable."

"So why were they coming after you tonight?" Davy asked.

"All I got from those guys were that there would be more," Micky sighed. "And they knew about you."

"Which means they won't hesitate to kill you to get to us," Mike said. "So we have to keep you guys safe."

"We aren't going to force you guys to come with us," Micky said. "But you guys need to understand what it would mean for you guys to walk away; how much danger you'd be in."

"I don't want to leave you guys," Davy said. "I mean, I'm not really sure I believe all this yet, but I also want Peter to go to the hospital."

"I know," Mike said.

"We'll get him help," Micky said. "We're not just gonna leave him like this. When we are done at this shack, we'll go to my cousin's. She doesn't live far from there and last I heard, she was going to med school. I hope she doesn't hate me, too, but even if she does, she can't turn her back on someone in need of medical attention."

"Why didn't your sister come with?" Peter asked after a small pause.

"I thought she thought me guilty too," Micky said.

"She never did," Mike said quickly. "Like I said at the house, she wanted to prove it was your father who set you up."

"Why would she stay with someone who hurt her?" Peter asked. Micky's stomach did a flip again like it had been the whole time Mike was talking to him on the patio. He hated himself for allowing that to happen.

"She told me that Robert left not long after he kicked out Micky," Mike said. "The people were angry at him for kicking Micky out, but not enough to accept Micky back. But he still left. Rose has spent five years looking for him. Guess she found him."

"We'll find her," Micky said. "We have to."

"I don't wanna leave either," Peter said after another few moments of silence. They were drawing near to their final destination and Micky's mind was racing. "I know you guys have good hearts. You aren't killers."

"We protect people," Mike said.

"Did you guys kill those goons from the house?" Davy asked.

"No," Micky said. "We only kill as a last resort. If nothing else will stop them."

"I'm sure when they report on their failure, they'll be killed though," Mike said.

"Why did your mom let any of this happen?" Peter asked. "I get your dad is a bad person, but what about your mother?"

"She was beautiful," Micky said with a soft smile. "She was strong, loving; the best mother I could ask for. Rose's father died before she was born. Killed by a Templar. We don't know who. Mom died only a month before they kicked me out. She went to go find out who killed Ginny and was killed by Templars. Her brother disposed of them."

"I'm sorry, Micky," Peter said, trying to offer a comforting smile.

"She died defending me," Micky said. "Just how she'd want to. She died a hero."

"We're here," Mike said pulling up to a shack a minute later. Micky looked at the dilapidated building and prayed they'd find clues as to what happened to his sister. He couldn't lose anyone else. He lost the woman he loved, his mother, and now his father. The man he thought was his father never even existed making it the most painful loss of all. He couldn't bear losing anyone else. He had to find his sister. Or he'd lose himself.


	4. A Little Help

Author's Note: Thanks to the guest in the last chapter who reviewed! It is listed in the Monkees thread, but it's rated "M" and the automatic filters set the list to K-T. But I do appreciate the support!

Chapter 4: A Little Help

Mike followed Micky into the shack, worried about leaving Davy and Peter in the car, but Mike knew Peter shouldn't move around until he got treatment. They'd told Peter and Davy to honk if they saw anyone coming. He made sure they weren't followed, but he couldn't be too safe. They were right outside the shack and could run to the car if needed. Mike and Micky walked inside with one last look at the car. The inside of the shack was worn and dust was gathering on most of the surfaces.

"I think we should start over there," Micky said pointing to a shelf in the back that had no dust.

"Good idea," Mike said seeing another shelf nearby without dust. "This one's bare too; I'll check this one." There was a small box and several books on each shelf. Mike started with the box and saw it was lined with papers, small knives and throwing stars. He took the papers out and carefully read them. They were letters. Letters to him and Micky. In case she couldn't tell them what she wanted to, she'd written it down. It broke his heart a little, but he knew he had to save these. He prayed he never had to give them to Micky.

"Mike, look at this," Micky said. Mike stuffed the letters into his pocket and grabbed the weapons in case they needed them before walking over to Micky.

"What did you find?" Mike asked.

"Pictures," Micky said. "Of my father. They must be recent though. I don't remember that scar." Mike peered over Micky's shoulder at the photos. There was a scar on Robert's arm that did suggest the photos were recent. "I don't recognize where these are, though."

"Wait," Mike said as Micky flipped through some of them. "Does that look like that old soap factory we played a couple years ago?"

"Maybe," Micky said squinting at the building behind Robert.

"It was abandoned a few months ago," Mike said. "The owner died and there was no one to take over, so it just went under. It'd be a perfect place to hide out."

"It's worth a shot," Micky said. "What did you find?"

"Weapons," Mike answered. He wouldn't bring up the letters unless he had to. "I don't think there's anything else to find. We need to get Peter to your cousin."

"Yeah," Micky agreed shoving the pictures into his pocket. "Let's get going. We can check out the soap factory in a few hours. It'll be dark enough for us to sneak in without being seen." Mike and Micky made their way back out to the car. Peter's wound had stopped bleeding and he was just sitting in the backseat of the car now. Davy was looking around nervously.

"How do you feel, Pete?" Micky asked as they drove away. Mike knew exactly where he was going so he could pay attention.

"It hurts," Peter admitted honestly.

"We'll get you help," Micky said. "I'm so sorry you guys got dragged into this. I honestly didn't see this coming. I thought they'd leave us alone."

"You didn't do this to us," Peter said.

"How far to your cousin's?" Davy asked.

"Not far," Mike answered. "We should be there in fifteen minutes." They drove the rest of the way in silence. Mike glanced at his friends periodically as he drove. He could tell Micky's mind was racing and he could see the guilt plastered on his face. Davy and Peter seemed to be in a bit of shock; unsure whether to believe what they'd just been told. Mike couldn't blame them. If he hadn't grown up around it, he wouldn't believe it either.

"Peter looks a little green," Davy said as Mike pulled into the driveway of Micky's cousin.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Peter answered.

"Just hang tight," Mike said. "We're here."

"Mike, it might be better for you to knock," Micky said going to Peter's side to help him out of the car.

"Right," Mike said and walked quickly up to the door. The door opened only a few seconds after he knocked.

"Mike?" the woman on the other side asked. She had long, curly, brown hair and big brown eyes. She stood there looking confused.

"Hey, Piper," Mike said. "Sorry to barge in, but we kinda need your help."

"We?" she asked. Mike moved aside just as Micky walked up holding Peter who was falling limp.

"Piper, I know you aren't exactly happy to see me, but Peter needs help," Micky said. "He got caught in a crossfire and we can't take him to the hospital."

"You got your friend shot?" Piper asked still standing in the doorway.

"Yes, we messed up," Micky sighed. "Can you please help him? I don't care what you think about me, but you can't turn away an innocent person in need, right?"

"Get in here before the neighbors call the cops," she said stepping aside to let them in. The area wasn't as populated as the city, but there were a couple of houses that could hold prying eyes. Micky helped pull Peter inside who was looking even worse than when they pulled up.

"Thank you," Micky said.

"Don't thank me," she said. "Just go get my medical kit in the bathroom under the sink."

"Right," Micky said and dashed off after lowering Peter onto the couch. Davy sat down right next to Peter on the couch looking incredibly worried. Piper carefully unbuttoned Peter's shirt and pulled it away from his shoulder just enough for her to inspect it.

"It doesn't look that deep," Piper said after a few moments. "It just grazed the top of his skin. You got lucky, Peter."

"I feel sick," Peter mumbled.

"Not on my carpet," Piper said before turning to Davy. "You, go in my kitchen and get me a bowl."

"Uh…" Davy said looking like he didn't want to leave Peter.

"Davy, the kitchen is through there," Mike said pointing through a doorway. Davy finally got up and disappeared just as Micky came back.

"You guys wanna tell me what happened?" Piper asked. Micky placed the kit next to her and opened it. She immediately pulled out a small brown bottle.

"It's complicated," Micky said as she poured the liquid over Peter's wound. Peter hissed in pain and tried to jerk away. Mike and Micky held Peter down so she could finish disinfecting Peter's wound.

"If you want my help, you need to talk to me," Piper rebutted opening the kit and pulling some gauze and tape out.

"We just need you to take care of Peter," Micky said. "You don't have to help us with the rest."

"Micky, I never said I didn't like you," Piper said pushing the gauze into Peter's shoulder. "I was just surprised to see you, that's all."

"I'm confused," Micky said. Davy walked back in and handed a large bowl to Mike who set it next to Peter on the couch.

"You honestly think I'd ever for a second think you murdered anyone?" Piper snapped. "You should have trusted us to help you instead of running away. That's the only reason I'm mad at you."

"I…" Micky said sounding surprised.

"Rose is missing," Mike said as Piper put tape over the gauze pad on Peter's shoulder. "She went after the man responsible for setting up Micky and now she's gone. I was talking to Micky when they barged in our house looking for us. Peter got caught in the crossfire."

"Who did she go after?" Piper asked.

"My father," Micky said. Piper froze for a second before turning to look at Micky.

"Are you sure?" Piper asked.

"Rose is," Mike answered. "He did some things to her, too."

"And you're sure she's missing and not-" Piper started, but Micky cut her off.

"She's not dead," Micky said. "He'd send a message if she were. We'd know."

"Ok," Piper said calmly. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small black container. When she opened the container there were small vials and a needle. "Do you have an idea where to start?"

"We found some pictures she took," Mike admitted. "Seems to point to an abandoned soap factory."

"Whoa, whoa!" Davy said jumping over to Peter as Piper moved with the needle towards Peter. "What are you gonna do to him!?"

"It's morphine," Piper said. "He's in pain and this will help him."

"It's ok, Davy," Micky said. "If I didn't trust her, I wouldn't bring you guys here. She's not gonna hurt him."

"I'll be ok, Davy," Peter said. Davy backed away and let Piper give him the pain killer.

"He'll be ok," Piper said. "He just needs to rest. I'll give him more later. For now we need to come up with a plan."

"Our plan is to sneak in there in a few hours and save my sister," Micky said.

"Just the two of you?" Piper asked. "Alone? How long has it been since you did any work like this? You both look like limp noodles. He'd snap you in half."

"Ok, then, what do you suggest?" Mike asked.

"You need help," Piper said.

"We can't take them with us," Micky argued waving at Davy and Peter.

"You wouldn't let me help you five years ago, you need to let me help you now," Piper said.

"Ok, that's not fair cause I thought you were on my dad's side," Micky said. "It's not like you talked to me. And you were against me and Ginny from the beginning."

"I wasn't against you, I just wanted you to be careful," Piper said.

"Whoa, knock it off," Mike exclaimed. "We can deal with this later, can't we?"

"Sorry," Micky said. "Of course. I'd love to get your help, Piper, but I can't leave them alone right now either."

"You won't," Piper said. "I can put in a call to a friend. She can help us and her father can watch your friends."

"Why can't I help?" Davy asked.

"Because we're going up against trained murderers," Mike said. "It's way too dangerous."

"But I want to help," Davy said.

"You can help by taking care of your friend," Piper said. "That bandage will need to be changed in about 4 hours."

"But-" Davy protested.

"This is nothing like we've done before, Davy," Micky said. "You are going to get yourself hurt, or worse."

"And what about you!?" Davy argued. "I don't recall ever seeing any fancy moves like I saw from you two last night in the two years I've known you!"

"We were dealing with morons, Davy," Mike said. "When it came down to it, Micky and I always found a way to get out of it our way if we couldn't the clumsy way. We had to make it seem like we were incapable of fighting. If we didn't, we would have been exposed and targeted long before now."

"What do you mean?" Peter asked. "You faked everything we've done? How?"

"The gunfight in the saloon with Bessie," Micky sighed. "Do you really think Davy could have shot that gun out of that dumb buffoon's hands?"

"But-" Peter and Davy looked confused.

"Micky did it," Mike said. "His aim has always been impeccable. He saw a gun behind the bar and carefully took the shot. You two were too busy ducking for cover to notice."

"Mike took down that spy by twisting his ear," Micky said. "It's a pressure point move we learned when we were ten."

"Most everything else took brain over brawn, so we just chose to outsmart instead of outfight," Mike said.

"This is very, very different, Davy," Micky added. "Please, just trust us. Stay here and take care of Peter."

"Ok," Davy finally relented. Piper was looking at them quizzically.

"We'll tell you about all that later," Micky said offering what Mike could tell was a forced smile.

"Ok," Piper said. "I'll call my friend and we can leave when she gets here. I have weapons in the trunk at the base of my bed. Help yourself."


	5. Rescued

Author's Note: Please review. You never know, sometimes a review is the only thing to make an author smile that day.

Chapter 5: Rescued

Micky sat in the passenger seat of the Monkeemobile as Mike drove to the abandoned soap factory. Back at Piper's house, her friend and friend's father had come over. Piper introduced her friend as Willow and her friend's father as William Beckett. He stayed behind to watch Peter and Davy and make sure they stayed safe, just in case while Piper and Willow joined Mike and Micky. Once they were at a safe distance where they wouldn't be noticed, Mike turned off the car.

"Micky, take these poppers and set them off on the south side of the building, then meet us back here," Piper said handing Micky a small black bag after they got out of the car.

"What, why?" Micky asked.

"We need a distraction," Piper answered.

"I'm going in there with you," Micky protested.

"Micky, we really don't have time to argue," Piper said. "We need a distraction out here to lure as many of them away from the factory as we can. You and I are the only two who know how to set those things off properly and I'm sorry, but I'm going in there over you because I've been doing this kind of stuff for five years and you've been playing music."

"But-" Micky protested further.

"No," Piper said firmly. "I'm not arguing this one with you. Trust me. If your sister is in there I WILL bring her out. I promise." Without another word she started off toward the soap factory. Willow gave Micky a sympathetic look before following her.

"Cover our backs, Micky," Mike said. "I promise I won't let you down." Micky sighed as Mike ran after Piper and Willow. Micky knew she was right; he was better out here setting the distraction to clear the way for them, but he wanted to be with them. He wanted to carry his sister away from the arms of his father. He didn't have time to think of how messed up this whole situation was, but he knew when he did, he'd likely break down. For now, he had to focus on saving Rose. He could break down later.

He ran to the south side of the building, far away from the car. He scanned the horizon and the building for any signs of movement. He saw 2 men patrolling the area, but nothing more. It was quiet. And any doubts Micky had about whether or not this was even the right place faded. Micky watched the guards make their rounds and timed them. Once he was sure he knew their pattern, he set out to start setting off the poppers. Each had a time delay so he could set them off without being nearby. He set the timer for 120 seconds and placed them in a line leading away from the factory. He made sure to space them out enough so they would go off one after the other and draw the guards and anyone else nearby away. The noise was loud, but didn't sound like an explosion. It was a sound that would need to be investigated.

When Micky set the last one, he ran back towards the car. As he ran he heard the poppers go off behind him. He glanced quickly over his shoulder and saw the two guards making their way towards the sound. Four other men came out the side door to investigate the noise further. Micky ducked behind a bush near the car and watched. All six men were drawn far away from the building and were poking around the bushes and trees nearby, looking for the source of the sound. Micky knew they wouldn't find anything. The only thing the poppers left behind were puffs of smoke that only lasted a few seconds and it was too dark for them to see it. They'd be looking for awhile giving Mike, Piper and Willow plenty of time to get Rose and get out.

Nearly fifteen minutes later when Micky was getting very anxious, he saw shadows running towards him. It was just in time because the six guards were giving up the search and returning to their post. Micky moved to make sure the car was started when he noticed that the figures moving toward him weren't as he expected. He expected to see only four people, but instead he saw five. Mike was carrying another person in his arms, draped in a blanket and arms wrapped around Mike's neck.

"Rose, thank God you're ok," Micky hugged her.

"We need to get going; now," Piper said.

"Who is that?" Micky asked when they got close enough to him. He couldn't see the person in Mike's arms; she had a thick blanket wrapped around her entire body and her face was buried in Mike's shoulder, but he could tell she had a very thin frame. Her arms were thin and bony and her skin was pale. Her feet were sticking out the and of the blanket and even they looked bony and small. She almost looked like a child.

"Just get in the car and drive," Piper said. Micky quickly scanned all the faces of his friends looking for any hint. All he saw was fear and confusion. Piper shoved Micky toward the driver's seat of the car forcing him to give up for now. When they were only a few minutes away, Mike looked at Piper who was sitting in the seat between him and Micky.

"She's still shivering," Mike said. "And her lips are blue."

"Pull her tight," Piper answered. "It's possible she's developing hypothermia. She needs your body heat. Keep her covered and tight."

"Is she gonna be ok?" Rose asked.

"I need you to tell me what happened," Piper said.

"She...she was helping me," Rose answered. Micky was surprised to hear her speech was a little off. It almost sounded as if she were drunk. "My head was bleeding pretty bad and she was helping me. He tried to hurt me, but she...she convinced him to hurt her instead. Said I couldn't handle it and he'd make me worse. He got mad at her so he took her clothes and that blanket with him when he was done. I tried to keep her warm. I couldn't. That room was just so cold. She was so cold."

"I guess it's good he left the blanket in the hall," Piper said. "Willow, crank the heater."

"I already did," Willow answered reaching over to double check the car's heater was turned all the way up.

"I think he drugged her, too," Rose said. "Her speech has been really slurred and she seemed tired and weak to begin with."

"Your speech is kind of slurred too," Mike pointed out.

"Who is she?" Micky asked again.

"Don't worry about that now," Piper snapped. "You need to focus on driving." Micky almost protested again, but when he saw the four of them exchange worried looks with each other in the rear view mirror he decided to drop it. They had a reason for not telling him and he'd find out soon anyway.

Over half an hour later, Micky pulled back into Piper's driveway. Mike was still holding the tiny woman close to him trying to keep her warm. Micky offered to help him carry her inside, but Piper told him to just get the door. He was beginning to get aggravated at their secrecy, but couldn't allow himself to focus on it. He had other things to deal with.

"Put her on the couch for now," Piper instructed. Mike nodded and set her on the couch as instructed. "Go find some more blankets and someone make her some soup."

"What happened?" Davy asked seeing them come in. Mike ran off to find more blankets and Willow dashed into the kitchen. It was then Micky finally saw the woman's face and his heart nearly stopped beating. The blanket slipped off her head showing her bright red hair and beautiful green eyes. Her face had lost a lot of it's shape but he still knew who she was. Even though it was impossible. He was looking at a ghost. He stood there staring at the face he'd known so well that was now gaunt and pale, trying to come to terms with what he was seeing.

"What is this?" Micky finally blurted out just as Mike ran back in the room with blankets.

"Micky, take a deep breath," Piper said.

"I don't understand," Micky said. "She...she's supposed to be dead!"

"Just calm down for a second, Micky," Mike said handing the blankets to Rose so she could wrap the woman up more. "I know this is hard-"

"HARD!?" Micky exclaimed. "For five years I thought this woman was dead and now I see her sitting in front of me!? Hard doesn't even begin to cover it! What the hell happened!? I buried her body!?"

"You buried _A_ body," Rose said. "Just not hers."

"You told me it was her," Micky glared.

"Micky, now is really not the time for this," Mike said. "We can talk about this later."

"You knew about this," Micky growled. He couldn't help himself. The thought of Mike lying about what his father did to his sister was bad enough, but lying about this pushed him past the point of no return. Before he knew what he was doing, Micky launched himself at Mike and clenched his fist. Before Mike could back away or defend himself, Micky punched him in the face. He moved for another, but felt arms pulling him away from Mike.

"STOP!" Piper exclaimed running between Micky and Mike as Rose pulled Mike away while Davy and William held Micky back. Peter tried to jump up from his spot on the couch to break up the fight but one look from Piper had him sitting back down.

"He didn't know!" Rose said stepping in front of Mike. "I swear to you, he didn't know! I couldn't tell him! So be mad at me, not him!"

"You lied to me!" Micky yelled. "You said you saw her before her body was burned! You swore to me it was her! The body had her ring!"

"I didn't have a choice, Micky," Rose answered. "He made me! He said if I told you she was alive, he'd kill her! I've been looking for her for five years. I've been trying to save her; to make it right! I'm so sorry, Micky. I was trying to protect her, I swear! Every time I got close, he moved her. I'm sorry!"

"Micky," the woman on the couch mumbled in the tense silence that followed Rose's answer.

"I'm here, Ginny," Micky said snapping into reality a little. William and Davy loosened their grip on him once he stopped fighting. He pulled himself away from them and knelt next to the woman he thought he'd lost so long ago.

"Don't be mad at her," Ginny said shakily. "She...she was trying to protect me. It's not her fault."

"I should have been there for you," Micky said. "I should have saved you."

"You couldn't have done any more than she did," Ginny whispered.

"I'm so sorry," Micky said.

"It's not your fault," Ginny said. "They told you I was dead."

"She needs to get some rest," William said.

"Once she eats some soup you can take her into my bedroom," Piper said moving over to inspect Mike who was clutching his face.

"The soup is ready," Willow said coming out of the kitchen. "Everything ok in here?"

"I think it is now," Piper said. "Raised emotions are expected right about now."

"I'm fine," Mike said. Micky turned to look and saw Piper was trying to inspect his face.

"You're bleeding," Piper argued.

"It's nothing," Mike said.

"Let her look at it, Mike," Micky said. There was silence for a few moments, but Mike finally lowered his hand to let Piper inspect his face. Micky knew Mike was trying to brush it off as nothing to keep Micky from feeling guilty. It wasn't working though. Micky had lost his temper and jumped to conclusions hurting his best friend. He knew Mike understood and he knew Mike wasn't mad, but he would still talk to him later and apologize. For now, Ginny needed him. Rose's words in the car suddenly flew back and hit him in the gut. Ginny had convinced his father to hurt her instead of Rose. His father had tortured her. And he probably had been for five years.

Mike only had a cut on his face and nothing more. It would heal. Micky helped Ginny eat soup and watched as color started to return to her face. Her fingernails and lips had been blue when he'd first seen her, but after warming up, her coloring was returning to normal. Just in case, Piper tested her nerves in her extremities to make sure she had feeling in them. Once she was satisfied Ginny would be fine with rest, Micky carried her into Piper's room and stayed with her until she fell asleep.


	6. Guilt and Legends

Author's Note: Sorry this one is so long. There was a lot I had to get in here. Hope you enjoy it! And as always, please make my day and leave me a review. :D Especially if you have questions on this chapter. It's a lot.

Chapter 6: Guilt and Legends

"You ok?" Rose asked Mike several hours later. Peter and Davy had fallen asleep in the guest bedroom, Peter on the bed and Davy on the floor. Willow, Piper and William were in her den trying to figure out their next move. If they had one. Mike was in the kitchen, staring at the door to Piper's room where Micky and Ginny were asleep.

"You set me up," Mike answered as she sat down next to him. "You deliberately didn't tell me."

"I couldn't," Rose answered.

"You weren't supposed to tell me about what Robert did to you, but that didn't seem to bother you," Mike quipped. He was angry. Angry at Robert for lying to Micky and angry at Rose for keeping this from him.

"That was different," Rose said. "I'm sorry. I didn't tell you she was alive because I wanted to keep her that way. It was different with me. Yes, he threatened everyone I loved if I ever told anyone what he did to me, but...Mom is already dead and you and Micky were safe. I thought you were...I thought you weren't even on his radar anymore. I'm sorry. What more do you want from me?"

"I thought you trusted me," Mike said. "If I knew-"

"If you knew, you would have dropped everything to help me find her and save her and it wouldn't have done a damn bit of good," Rose snapped. "You would have left your friends, the life you made, and gone running off after him and it wouldn't have changed anything. Except maybe he'd have killed you when he took me. And then who would have been able to come save me?"

"Rose-" Mike started, but she cut him off again.

"Mike, I wanted you two to be happy," Rose said. "I wanted you two to have some kind of normal life. You were happy with Peter and Davy and I didn't want to mess that up! I shouldn't have told you anything, but you looked so hurt and I felt so damn guilty."

"Micky hates me," Mike said after a few moments.

"He doesn't hate you," Rose answered. "I'm sorry I did this to you. To both of you. He's mad, just like you are. And he'll get over it." Mike was silent again for a while. Rose reached up to touch his cheek where Micky had hit him. Mike backed away knowing it still hurt. He was surprised when Micky had attacked him, but he had no intention of attacking Micky back. He knew Micky didn't mean it. Micky was just angry and needed to lash out.

"I should talk to him," Mike said.

"That's a very good idea," Rose said. "We should talk to him." Mike got up and knocked on the door softly. He didn't want to wake Ginny, but if he knew his friend, Micky would still be awake. There was no sound on the other side of the door so Mike carefully and slowly opened the door. Ginny was asleep under several layers of blankets, but Mike couldn't see Micky. Mike walked in a little further and noticed Micky sitting at a table on the other side of the patio door. Rose followed as they closely walked toward the patio door.

"You ok?" Mike asked after he walked out onto the patio and closed the door.

"I don't know," Micky answered. "How am I supposed to be?"

"I don't know either, Micky," Mike said as he and Rose sat down.

"I'm sorry about hitting you," Micky said.

"Don't even worry about that," Mike said waving it off. "Barely even hurt and maybe I deserved it for lying to you."

"I overreacted," Micky said.

"No, you didn't," Rose answered placing a hand on his arm. "We lied to you about Robert and I lied to you about Ginny. I'm surprised you didn't do more than punch Mike. Your anger is completely understandable."

"I should have seen it," Micky whispered. "I should have been able to stop all this."

"How?" Mike asked. "Micky, none of this is your fault."

"Isn't it?" Micky asked angrily. "He's MY father and it was in MY house. My room was right next to hers. I should have known what he was doing."

"Micky, he made sure you didn't know," Rose said. "He made sure you couldn't know."

"I should have known," Micky said. "It's not like I've always been a light sleeper."

"He doped you," Rose said. "He made a habit out of drugging you and mom to make sure you didn't wake up and catch him."

"He what?" Micky asked. Even Mike was a little surprised.

"He had to make sure you never caught him," Rose said. "He had to make sure you stayed asleep. Mom too. She had to think he was with her in bed all night. Even Mike."

"Micky, let me ask you something," Mike said. "Do you blame your mother for what happened?"

"Of course not," Micky said. He opened his mouth as though he were about to say more, but realized what Mike had just made him admit to and thought better of it.

"They why do you blame yourself?" Mike pushed.

"I was in the room next to Rose," Micky said.

"And I was down the hall," Mike argued. "What about me. Do you think I should have seen anything?"

"Micky, you're just trying to take your anger out on someone and because Robert's not around, you're taking it out on everyone else," Rose said. "You can't blame yourself for what happened. You knew something was wrong and you asked me about it. I lied to you. You had to take my word for it. He drugged you so you wouldn't wake up and catch him. There's nothing you could have done. Nothing mom could have done and nothing Mike could have done."

"Why did you lie to us?" Micky asked.

"He said he'd kill you if I told anyone," Rose answered.

"Why did he even do it in the first place?" Micky asked.

"Most people do that kind of assault for power, Micky," Mike answered. "You know that."

"Yes, but it was too risky to do it to his own step-daughter," Micky argued. "He had to have a reason."

"Does it matter?" Rose asked. "Would that make you feel better? Take away some of the guilt?"

"Yes," Micky answered. Mike had to admit, he felt extremely guilty when Rose had first told him. He had nightmares for months and he hated that he hadn't known anything. And he'd always asked himself why.

"Because he caught me snooping through his things," Rose said. "I knew something was off about him. I hated him since I was a little girl. It was just this instinct I had. I can't explain it, but I knew he was hiding something. So I went looking in his office. He caught me and said I needed to learn my place. I tried to fight him, but he said he'd hurt you guys if I didn't do what he said."

"Did you find anything?" Mike asked.

"No," Rose answered.

"I'm sorry, Rose," Micky said putting his head in his hands. Rose leaned over and wrapped her arms around him.

"I don't blame any of you," Rose said. "You couldn't have stopped it. Don't apologize to me. I love you, Micky. I'm the one who owes you. I lied to you and I made you believe I hated you. I left you both behind because I couldn't face you."

"What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"Why do you think I stopped letting you even kiss me," Rose answered.

"Well, at the time I had no idea, but when you told me...I just assumed it was just a normal reaction from what he did to you," Mike said. "It's not uncommon for people to feel attacked again when someone touches them in a similar manner."

"There was no way I was letting him get to me like that," Rose answered. "I felt ashamed because I was keeping it from you. Not because of what he did to me. I knew what he was doing wasn't about sex for him. It was about control and power and I wasn't going to let him have that on me. But in the end, I guess I did cause I lied and drove you both away out of guilt."

"You didn't," Micky said looking up. "You took the control back by going after him. By saving Ginny."

"And we can keep that going by killing him," Mike added. Micky glanced over at Ginny sleeping in the bed.

"What did he do to her for five years?" Micky asked.

"I don't know," Rose answered. They sat there in silence for a while. Mike wasn't sure if he'd helped Micky or not, but finally decided they all needed to at least try and get some sleep.

"We need to go to bed," Mike said standing up.

"I'm not tired," Micky said.

"You need to at least try," Rose said. "If we're gonna have any chance of getting Robert, we need to be rested. It's too cold out here. Go lay down with her and just close your eyes. Hold her. She needs it."

"Thanks," Micky answered before they all went to bed. Mike and Rose took a spot on the floor in the living room, not wanting to disturb anyone else. They'd closed the door as Micky crawled into bed with Ginny and pulled her close to him protectively. Mike did the same for Rose. He still felt guilty for not having helped her 5 years ago, but he could change that now. He wouldn't let her out of his sight now.

* * *

"Morning," Davy greeted as Micky walked out of the room with Ginny the next morning. He hadn't slept well, but he'd gotten at least a couple of hours in. Ginny had woken up only a couple of times from nightmares, but he was able to get her right back to sleep. Mike and Rose sat next to each other at the table with Willow, William and Piper. Davy stood in the dining room putting a plate full of pancakes on the table. Peter came in at that moment with a pitcher of orange juice. It appeared he and Peter had gotten up early and made a big breakfast. "Did you guys sleep well?"

"We slept," Micky answered. "I'm sorry about what happened yesterday, guys."

"Don't worry about it," Peter smiled. "Rose told us what happened.

"How are you feeling?" Mike asked turning to Ginny.

"Much better," Ginny answered sitting down. "I am starving though."

"Well Peter and Davy made plenty of food," Rose laughed. "Have as much as you want."

"Actually, you shouldn't," Piper cautioned. "If you have too much after being malnourished, you'll upset your system and actually make yourself more sick."

"I wasn't planning on having a lot anyway," Ginny laughed. Micky smiled. He thought he'd never get to hear that laugh again. He still wasn't sure he believed what was going on; he was afraid to close his eyes for fear that when he opened them, this all would have been nothing more than a dream. He put his hand on her leg, just to keep that physical contact. A way to assure himself she was real.

"Ginny, my name is William Beckett," Willow's father said after they'd all eaten. "I know this probably isn't something you want to talk about, but we need to ask you some questions."

"I'm not sure now is a great time," Micky said.

"It's ok," Ginny said. "I assume that the first thing you want to know is what happened?"

"Yes," William answered.

"I found out what Robert was doing to Rose," Ginny started; her words tied Micky's stomach in knots. "I went to try and convince her to say something to someone, but I got attacked. I don't really remember what happened. Just a pain in my head. I'm assuming he knocked me out with something. I woke up in a basement somewhere."

"Why not just kill you?" Willow asked. "Not that I'm not glad they didn't."

"He needed me," Ginny said looking down at her hands. "He thought I had something he wanted."

"You don't have to do this right now," Micky said softly.

"Yes, I do," Ginny said. "If you're going after him, you need to know."

"Know what?" Rose asked. "What does he want from you?"

"There are these ancient artifacts that Templars have been looking for for centuries," Ginny answered.

"You mean the ones in the legends?" Mike asked furrowing his brow. "The artifacts that can kill 50 men in one second and warp their minds?"

"Yes," Ginny said. "Only they aren't legends. They're real. Do you remember learning about the ancient Gods?"

"Like Zeus or something?" Peter asked.

"Yes," Ginny said. "Most of the cultures across the countries have the same basic mythology. There were a group of people who created men and watched over them. Most of these Gods have the same roles and similar stories, but with different names. Different names are understandable because they come from different languages. But the roots are all the same. The roots are real."

"Wait, are you saying the Greek and Roman Gods are real?" Davy asked flabbergasted.

"Yes," Ginny answered. "All the Gods of various different mythology. They were here before us. Even Christianity has roots in an "Adam and Eve". These people were real, too. The Gods were just part of an advanced civilization that created humans to serve them."

"Gods enslaved humans?" Rose asked. "You're serious?"

"Completely serious," Ginny answered. "They used those artifacts to do it. There's something in the human brain that reacts to the technology and power in those artifacts. But they were wiped out by some catastrophic event. Very few Gods survived."

"You are kidding, right?" Peter asked. "This can't possibly be true."

"It fits with some of the stories we were told as kids," Micky said. "And it fits with a lot of religious mythology. Noah's flood wiped out most of the living creatures on Earth."

"How do you know all of this?" William asked.

"The stories were passed down through my family," Ginny said. "On my mother's side. It's why my father targeted my mother. He thought she would show him where the artifacts are today. He tortured her into giving him the information, but she refused. She was finally able to escape, but it was only after she was pregnant. She made sure I knew the stories. It's part of my legacy."

"Do you know where the artifacts are?" Rose asked.

"Robert has one now," Ginny answered. "He tried to make me tell him where it was, but I refused. Just like my mother. But he somehow found it anyway. I don't know how."

"Well that's just great," Piper said. "He could do a lot of damage with that!"

"No, he can't," Ginny said. "My ancestors made it a point to find the artifacts and seal them away. They can't be destroyed, so they were placed in boxes and buried. But the boxes use the power of the artifacts to protect them, so they cannot be opened by anyone outside of the bloodline that made them. My bloodline."

"So he has the box, but he can't open it?" Mike asked.

"He only just found it a few days ago," Ginny said. "In Arizona. He can't open it. Anyone who so much as touches the box is killed instantly."

"So how is it you can open the box?" Peter asked.

"Before the catastrophic event that wiped out the humans and the Gods, some of them interbred," Ginny said. "The children had the abilities and powers of the Gods, but the mortality of humans. Some of those children had special abilities that helped them be more agile or gave them a sort of sixth sense. Most of them ended up as Assassins without ever knowing the reason for their gifts. Some of them were granted more powers. They became witches."

"Witches?" Willow asked.

"True witches, yes," Ginny said. "Witches with actual powers and not just those who can write spells to tap into the power already flowing through the rivers, the dirt, the air. That magic can be used by anyone who knows how. True witches can do things without chanting a rhyming couplet."

"I'm not sure I'm really buying any of this," William sighed. "You're trying to tell me the Greek Gods were real and they enslaved humans with these little artifacts that are now being hunted by the Templars and protected by witches."

"That's the short version, yes," Ginny said. "I know this is hard to believe, but it's true."

"I'm so sorry," Micky whispered once he'd truly taken in everything she said.

"Micky, it's not your fault," Ginny said.

"I told him who you were," Micky said. "He figured out you could get that artifact because I told him who you were."

"How could you have possibly known he would betray you?" Ginny asked.

"How is it that you can open the box when no one else can touch it?" Peter asked.

"She already told us that," Davy said. "Only her bloodline can touch it."

"No," Ginny corrected. "No one can physically touch it. It has to be opened with magic. Only my family can do it because we are the only ones who know how to bypass its magical defenses and open it with magic."

"So now you're saying you're a witch?" William asked.

"How do you think I know what happened to Rose when no one else in her family did?" Ginny asked.

"You caught him?" Piper asked.

"Yes, I saw it in a way," Ginny answered. "But he made sure no one could stumble in on him. I saw it in my head. Not physically."

"You must be joking," Davy sputtered.

"Just show them," Mike sighed. Ginny sighed and looked at the table. All the plates were cleared of food, but they were still sitting on the table waiting to be taken into the kitchen and washed. Ginny stared for a second and all the plates and silverware jumped up off the table on their own and stacked themselves in a pile before floating into the kitchen where they heard them land in the sink.

"Whoa!" Davy exclaimed jumping up from the table. Piper, William, Willow and Peter had equally surprised reactions. Rose, Micky, and Mike already knew about her gifts and weren't surprised.

"You really are a witch!" Piper exclaimed.

"If you can do that, why didn't you use your powers and escape!?" William asked.

"Dad!" Willow exclaimed.

"It's ok, it's a valid question," Ginny said. "He drugged me. He was pumping something into the air through the vents that made it impossible to do any magic. My brain couldn't focus."

"That's why I was so groggy," Rose said. "I was breathing in the same air."

"So we need to make sure he doesn't get you back and we need to get that box from him," Mike said. Micky was about to agree when they all froze. A loud explosion coming from outside had them reacting instantly. Micky jumped up from the table and pulled Ginny into the center of the room. Piper, Mike, Willow, William and Rose ran toward the window, taking cover, but peering outside. Micky waved Davy and Peter over to him as they were too stunned to move. Micky pushed all three of them down to take cover and turned to ask Mike what was outside when a bullet ripped through one of the windows.


	7. Fleeing

Author's Note: So this one is a tad shorter to make up for the length of the last one. Sorry it took so long to post, I kept getting distracted by things. I have a field camp I have to do in a little over a week, so I may not be posting during those three weeks. But to make it up to you, if you beg me enough, I'll try to crank out some chapters back to back before I go.

Chapter 7: Fleeing

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" Mike yelled as a barrage of bullets ripped through the apartment. He'd seen more than two dozen men outside; far too many for them to take down on their own. Especially since several were now firing semi-automatic rounds into Piper's apartment. Mike pushed Piper down and tried to cover her body with his as glass flew in all directions around them. Rose and Willow were on the other side of the window, out of his reach, but they too had dropped to the ground immediately. William had tried to pull out a gun from his waistband, but as soon as the bullets whizzed into the apartment, he dropped behind a large bookcase for cover. Micky, Peter, Davy and Ginny were in the middle of the room. The first shot had been a solitary shot. It had given Micky enough time to get them into a protected position. He now dropped to the ground, grabbing the coffee table and pulling it up next to them to protect them from shrapnel. Finally the barrage ended and the air was filled with an eerie silence broken only by the sound of broken wood and glass clattering to the floor.

"Everyone ok?" Mike asked before venturing a peek outside.

"I think so," Piper answered.

"You know what we want, gentlemen!" one of the men from outside boomed. "Give us the girl and we walk away without a fight."

"Micky, grab the bag under the couch!" Piper hissed quietly before turning to the men outside. "You just destroyed my apartment! Why should I do anything you want me to!?"

"Because you now know what we're capable of!" the man yelled back. Mike watched Micky reach under the couch and feel around for the bag. With a quick glance around the room, Mike saw everyone was still moving. "That was a small taste of the ammunition I have at my disposal. I gave you a warning shot so you could duck. I trust that was adequate. Next time you won't be so lucky. Bring me the girl or there will be nothing left of your home."

"You must be insanely stupid if you think we're going to give you anything," Mike yelled as Micky slid the bag he'd found across the room to Piper. "Not to mention all this shooting is gonna draw a lot of attention to yourself. The cops will be here any minute."

"Son, I am the police," the man laughed. "Now hand over the girl! We can do this the easy way or the hard way!"

"The easy way is boring," Piper said pulling something out of the bag and tinkering with it for a second. "I like to party, so why don't you come on over and try to take her! Or are you not man enough for that?"

"What are you doing?!" William asked quietly. "There's way too many of them."

"Relax, I've got this," Piper said poking her head out the window.

"That's real cute, baby doll," the man barked. "You think questioning my manhood is gonna piss me off? I've dealt with way worse than the likes of you."

"I wasn't trying to piss you off," Piper said. She exchanged a glance with Micky, Mike and Rose and mouthed "smoke bomb" to them. Each of them understood. Mike readied himself to move toward William, Rose grabbed Willow's hand and Micky instructed Davy and Peter to hold hands with each other. "I was trying to stall you, idiot!" Piper lodged the bomb out the broken window and in that second Mike grabbed William, Micky grabbed Ginny and Peter, who was now holding Davy's hand tightly, and Rose began pulling Willow toward the front door. The smoke bomb went off with a loud explosion and the shockwave almost knocked them over, but they were able to keep their bearing. Everything was now covered in a haze of thick, black smoke.

"I can't see anything!" Davy exclaimed.

"Just trust us and don't let go," Micky answered pulling Davy towards the front door. Mike could never explain it, but somehow they'd always been able to see really well through thick smoke. They couldn't see things as though the smoke wasn't there, but rather the smoke seemed to make things around them glow faintly. At first Mike had thought it was an Assassin thing because Mike and Micky could both do it and they weren't blood relatives, but they soon found that no other Assassin could do this. It worked in their favor at this moment and Mike wasn't going to question it. It was going to save their hides.

Micky, Mike, Piper and Rose each led the others through the smoke and out the door. The block was filled with enough smoke that they could run to William's cargo van without being seen. William had driven that, not knowing if they would need it to run away. Mike and Micky had decided to park the Monkeemobile away from the apartment because they knew it drew a lot of attention. If they were going to make a clean getaway, they'd need to be a more inconspicuous vehicle. William's van was large enough to hold all of them comfortably, but plain enough to not draw attention.

"How did you do that?" Willow asked when they'd settled in the back of the van. William got behind the driver's seat, but could still talk through a small window that separated the cab from the back. "We couldn't see anything."

"Just something we've always been able to do," Micky shrugged. "Don't know why."

"We can't worry about that right now," Mike said. "We need to figure out where we're going first."

"Our house?" Willow asked. "They don't know about us."

"They probably do," Rose said. "If they don't, they will soon. We can't go anywhere that has a connection to any of us. Not until we know what we are doing."

"We need to go after Robert," William said. "We need to get that artifact back from him."

"He'd have gone somewhere else," Piper said. "We'd need to find him again. And that's gonna take time. We need somewhere to hide out until them."

"And if Mike and Micky are going to help, they need to get back into shape," Rose added. Mike looked at Micky and noticed for the first time he was bleeding. In the rush of everything, he hadn't taken an inventory of injuries. Rose, sitting next to him, was covered in little tiny cuts from the glass having rained down on them. The others had come out largely unscathed with nothing more than a few cuts to their hands.

"Micky, you're bleeding!" Mike exclaimed.

"I got nicked a little by one of the bullets," Micky said. "I'll be ok."

"Let me take a look at it," Piper said.

"It's nothing," Micky said. "I'll be ok."

"Micky, please," Ginny said carefully taking his arm and rolling up his sleeve.

"Rose, you gonna be ok?" Peter asked looking worried.

"I'll be fine," Rose answered. "Nothing a few well placed band-aids won't fix."

"Not quite," Willow said moving a little closer to her. "Hold still."

"Why?" Rose asked as Willow reached out her hand towards Rose. Mike looked a little more closely and saw a piece of glass sticking out of her shoulder.

"Don't move," Willow said firmly. Mike felt Rose tighten up next to him and gripped her hand. Willow grabbed the piece of glass between her fingertips and carefully pulled while Piper looked at Micky's arm. Rose squeezed Mike's hand tightly in pain as Willow removed the small piece.

"How bad is it?" Piper asked glancing over.

"Not very deep," Willow answered. "Just wanted to remove it before it cut her any further."

"Thank you," Rose said.

"Is he ok?" Davy asked.

"I'm fine, Davy," Micky said offering a smile. "Don't worry about me."

"It's just a surface wound," Piper said. "Better even than Peter's."

"So we need to figure out what our next move is," Rose said once they were all sure Micky's wound was minimal. "Somewhere not connected to any of us."

"There's a secret Assassin hideout about three hours from here," William said. "It's not directly connected to any of us so they couldn't find it with tax records and no one will be there because it's used as a safehouse."

"I'd say we have use for a safehouse right now," Davy muttered.

"What should we do about Davy and Peter?" Mike asked Micky. He didn't want to drag them into all this, but if they let Peter and Davy go back to their normal lives, they could still be in danger.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked. "You're not gonna ditch us, are you!?"

"No," Mike answered, "but what we're about to get involved in again is extremely dangerous."

"We want to help," Davy said.

"The more numerous our numbers the better," William said. "We have better chances of winning in a fight if they fight too."

"No!" Mike and Micky said in unison. Neither wanted their friends putting their lives on the line any time soon.

"Guys, this is our fight," Micky said.

"You're our best friend, Micky," Peter said. "Family even. And family doesn't just walk away. They support each other. That's what we're gonna do."

"Peter, you're a pacifist," Mike pointed out.

"Yes, I think it's wrong to hurt people and even animals," Peter said. "But I get the feeling that Micky's dad and others like him aren't of either class. They're monsters. Anyone who can do what he did to Rose...monsters."

"You guys are sure you don't want to just go home?" Micky asked.

"To England or to the Pad?" Davy asked. "Either way, I'm staying. And I'm helping."

"You guys have no idea what you're doing," Mike said.

"So teach us," Davy said.

"I don't know…" Mike said.

"Mike, we need to protect your friends at the very least," Rose said. "Whether you guys like it or not, they're a part of this. We should at least teach them to defend themselves."

"If Peter's a pacifist, he's not going to fight very well," Piper said. "But I can show him some first aid treatments. It never hurts to have a nurse in the field. Will you be ok with that?"

"Whatever I can do to help," Peter said.

"And I'm gonna fight," Davy said.

"Davy, do you remember when you tried your hand at that boxing circuit?" Micky asked. "You could barely land a punch."

"And you hid behind the referee during your fight with the champ," Mike pointed out. "You aren't cut for fighting."

"Then what do you want me to do?" Davy asked. "I'm gonna help."

"We'll figure something out, Davy," Micky said.

"The safehouse has a training room down in the basement," William said. "Whatever we decide, we can get you guys back in shape down there. And there is plenty of space for us to stay comfortably."

"Sounds like a plan," Mike said as he began to settle in.

"We have company," William said a few moments later. Mike and Micky were closest to the window in the rear of the van and peered out carefully just as William sped up. When they looked outside, they saw four cars following very closely behind. Without warning, someone in one of the cars began shooting at them. "Hang on. I'm gonna try and lose them."


	8. Safety

Author's Note: Alright, someone begged for another chapter, so here it is. And this is a reminder that this story is rated "M".

Chapter 8: Safety

"I don't think we can lose them," Micky said. "They're just gonna find us again. They're gonna keep tracking us."

"There are way too many to fight," William said.

"Do you have a gun back here?" Micky asked.

"Yes, in a false bottom in that toolbox," William answered. "But there's only a couple of bullets in there."

"One is all I need," Micky said. Mike grabbed for the toolbox and quickly located the gun.

"What are you gonna do?" Davy asked.

"Get rid of them," Micky answered.

"With one bullet?" Peter asked.

"Just trust me," Micky said.

"Be careful; they're shooting back at us," Rose said. Micky broke the glass window on the back of the van using his elbow. Micky quickly peered outside and then took aim. Mike could see out the second window, but remained low. When Mike noticed a gas station with a large propane tank on the corner, he knew what Micky was doing. The station itself was empty of cars and there was only one employee outside sweeping. As soon as he saw the chase, he took off running. He wouldn't be close enough to be hurt.

Micky shot the gun and a split second later the propane tank exploded. The sudden explosion sent a shockwave through the air. Mike made sure the man near the gas station was unhurt as the cars following them were caught in the explosion. Sure enough, the man was knocked to the ground, but otherwise uninjured. The same couldn't' be said for the cars chasing them; all four were caught in the explosion and the heat and pressure caused the cars to experience their own explosion. Three of them flipped over as a second shock wave was sent through the air.

"Nice shot," Willow said in admiration.

"That should take care of them," William said. "We should be safe enough to head to the safe house now."

"Are they dead?" Peter asked timidly.

"You said it yourself, Pete," Mike offered, "they're monsters. They aren't human. I'm sorry, but at this point it's kill or be killed. We don't have a choice."

"I know," Peter said. "But they said they were cops…"

"Templars often are," Micky said. "They have to take positions of power to get what they need. And being a cop makes it easier to cover up their crimes."

"I don't understand how good people can be so bad," Davy said.

"They aren't good," Mike said. "They only pretend to be good. During the Italian Renaissance, a Templar rose all the way up to the position of Pope."

"Pope?!" Davy exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Supposedly there was something special underneath the Vatican that he wanted," Mike answered. "That and he used his position to control the Romans. He was in it for the power. Rodrigo Borgia. Pope Alexander. But he was killed. He was poisoned."

"By an Assassin?" Peter asked.

"Actually, no," Piper said. "An Assassin wanted to, but Rodrigo's son beat him to it. But the Assassin later threw the son off the top of a tower."

"I take it the son was bad, too?" Peter asked.

"Yes," Piper answered. "The whole family is notoriously known for incest and orgies and murder. The son killed the dad to take over control of the Roman Army."

"So this stuff really does go back a long time," Davy mumbled.

"Farther than we know," Micky said. "Some of these Assassin stories were passed down. It's as much our history as American history is."

"You ok, Peter?" Mike asked.

"Yeah," Peter answered after looking at Ginny and Rose. "They're monsters."

* * *

Several hours later, they'd arrived at the safe house with no other incident. William purposely took as many turns as he could to make sure they weren't followed. When they stopped for gas and to take a bathroom break, Micky checked the van for anything they could have put on it to track them. When they got out of the van at the safe house, they were somewhat in awe of its size. William had told them it was large enough for them, but Micky wasn't really expecting it to be quite as large as it was. William said the house was originally a mansion having ten bedrooms and eight bathrooms, but most importantly, the basement had been converted to a training room for Assassin's.

Once they'd decided what rooms they'd use, they set at making a plan. However they hadn't come up with anything significant. They knew that Robert would have moved away from the soap factory and their first task should be to find him. The only thing they'd decided on was to allow William to leave and try to find as much information about Robert as he could. He had a friend who could look into numerous records, including tax, property and family papers. He also had friends connected to other Assassin groups; he'd reach out for help in every corner he could and report back to the group. Once William had left that evening, Micky knocked on the door to what was now Ginny's room.

"Hey," Micky said when she told him to come in. She was sitting on the edge of the bed smiling at him. Each time he looked at her, he saw just how small her frame was. She used to be strong and looked healthy. Now she was frail and looked tired all the time. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok," Ginny answered. "I get a little better each time I eat."

"Good," Micky answered. "I wanted to give you something."

"Give me something?" Ginny echoed as Micky sat on the bed beside her.

"I...I thought you were dead," Micky started.

"I already know this," Ginny said softly. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. I am not mad. At least not at you."

"No, I thought you were dead because Rose found you," Micky started again after a deep breath. "She said she went for help and by the time she got back, your body was already burnt. Someone's body. I trusted Rose. I believed her. And I took these off the body." Micky reached down the front of his shirt and pulled out a long cord wrapped around his neck. He lifted the cord over his head and handed it to her.

"Micky…" she breathed softly as she looked at it.

"I never thought I'd be able to give these back to you," Micky said. "I thought...I thought they'd be a part of me forever. I cleaned them, but the chain you had was too badly damaged. I had to put them on that rope and I never took them off."

"You kept these?" Ginny asked with a small tear starting to form in her eye. She looked down and brushed her hand over each item on the cord. She lingered briefly on the small diamond ring attached to the cord before moving to open the small gold locket.

"Of course," Micky said. "They were a part of you. So they were a part of me. Always have been. I'm sorry the picture got a little burned. I did what I could with it."

"It's fine," Ginny said looking at the small picture inside the locket. Micky smiled and looked down at the beautiful red-head in the picture. He'd seen this picture so many times before. When he couldn't sleep, he often opened it and stared for hours. He never had a picture of Ginny, but he could see her in this woman; Ginny's mother.

"She's beautiful," Micky said.

"I always wanted to live up to her example," Ginny said. "I want to make her proud. She endured so much. She loved me from the day she knew she was going to have me. Despite my father and what he did to her."

"Ginny, she would be proud of you," Micky said tucking her hair behind her ear and pulling her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "You endured five years of...I don't even wanna think about what, and you never once gave in. You are strong. You are beautiful. She would be so proud of you."

"I love you," Ginny whispered. "I never lost hope that you would come for me."

"I love you, too," Micky said pulling her close to him. "I'm so sorry it took so long. It shouldn't have taken that long."

"How could you have known?" Ginny asked. "We need to just be glad we're together and safe now."

"You are safe now," Micky said. He gently took the necklace and looped it over her head. Ginny touched the ring that was now hanging around her neck and smiled at him. Before she said anything else, she leaned in and kissed him. Her lips against his felt amazing. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. He hadn't felt sensations like this in years. His heart skipped a beat and he felt butterflies flying around his stomach. She wrapped one hand around the back of his neck and the other moved to rest on the inside of his thigh.

"I missed you so much," Ginny whispered softly. "I knew that I'd be able to hold you again. That I'd feel your touch." She leaned in and kissed him again, moving her hand up his thigh and pushing as much of her body into him as she could. Micky pushed her away and immediately felt bad for it.

"We can't," Micky said. "With everything you've been through…"

"I'm ok, Micky," Ginny whispered.

"...I can't while I'm thinking about that," Micky continued.

"If you let that stop you, we'll never be together," Ginny sighed and looked down.

"No, that's not true," Micky said. "We just need to work on it to get over this."

"Every time you see me you're going to be reminded of what happened," Ginny whispered.

"No," Micky said but fell quiet when she took her shirt off and ran her fingers across her skin just above her bra. Micky looked and saw a small scar marring her beautiful skin.

"This isn't the only one," Ginny whispered.

"I'm so sorry," Micky said solemnly. He knew it was his father who'd done this to her, but he still felt responsible.

"It's not your fault," Ginny said. "The only thing that got me through those cold nights was the thought of you. Holding me again. Your spirit and love kept me going. Why should that stop now?" Micky thought for a few moments. He'd dreamed about being with her again, but never once thought it actually possible. Mostly he didn't want to be with her because he was afraid she would relate the experience to her trauma. But now he wondered if being with her would actually be a more healing experience for her. He had inadvertently given her hope when she was going through hell. He could help her return to normal now. His touch could remind her that she was loved, strong, and safe.

"Are you sure?" Micky asked after a moment.

"I have wanted this for years," Ginny answered. "I've wanted you. I control who touches my body now. And when. Yes, I'm sure." Micky smiled and kissed her again. This time he let go of his worries and stress and just focused on her. The beautiful, strong woman in his arms. He leaned her back on the bed and ran his hands over her body. It looked weak, but he could feel a strength emanating from her from somewhere deep inside. It was this strength that he'd fallen in love with so long ago and it was this strength that allowed her to survive to this point. He could feel her moan into his kiss. A sound that almost spoke words; telling him that she felt safe and loved.

He moved and kissed her neck as her fingers slipped under his shirt and brushed his back. He almost felt sparks emanating from her fingertips. He pulled away from her long enough to allow her to pull his shirt over his head. When he kissed her again, he moved lower, tracing down her collarbone. He stopped when he saw the scar across her breast again. One hand was wrapped around her back and he moved the other one over the scar. He couldn't allow himself to look at it as an old wound. He now saw it as a symbol of her strength and perseverance. He moved back to look into her eyes. He saw no regret or hesitation. He saw love.

Her hand moved down his back and around his hips. She brushed her legs against the inside of his eliciting a response deep inside him. He moaned a little as he felt his pants tighten. He kissed her again, running his fingers down her stomach and across her hips. She groaned and arched her back into him. Her fingers found the button and zipper on his pants and quickly dealt with them. His hands looped around the waistband of the sweat pants Piper had given her back at the apartment the night before. She raised her hips off the bed to allow him to slip them off and onto the floor. He looked down and saw two more scars. One on her hips and the other just inside her thigh.

"I'm ok," she whispered when she noticed him staring. "I promise."

"You tell me if you want to stop," Micky said.

"Why would I ever want you to stop touching me?" Ginny smiled and leaned forward enough to pull his pants down over his ankles. Micky smiled and kissed her again. All that was left between them now were their underwear. He reached behind her back and unhooked her bra. Something he'd done so long ago, but it felt like somehow the last five years hadn't happened. He felt her breath and her touch against his skin and that was all he felt. He only needed to focus on her. The passion that came from deep within her infected him. He dropped her bra to the floor and moved to remove her panties. Once she'd removed his own underwear, he moved down to trace kisses around her breasts. His fingers moved up her thighs, brushing past the scar into the warmth between her legs.

"I love you," Micky said as he felt her tremble with passion at her touch. For a moment he thought he was dreaming again. That when he looked, she wouldn't be there or would be one of the other women he'd been with to try and satisfy the hole that had been left in his heart when he'd buried her.

"I love you, Micky," she whispered. Her voice a reassuring sound filling him with desire. She was taking back control and he was showing her how much he loved her; reminding her of what she really meant to him. And assuring himself she was really here with him. Her leg brushed against him and he let out another moan. He moved to kiss her neck again as her hands wrapped around him and pulled him closer to her. Micky got up on his knees and allowed her to guide him inside her. When he did, they both moaned. He felt her warmth and strength completely take over him. Every worry and fear was erased from his mind. It was just the two of them. He rocked on top of her, kissing her and whispering in her ear how much he loved her. She moaned his name, breathing softly into his neck as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Rocking on top of her, he felt amazing. He couldn't imagine the five years he spent without her. She'd been here, next to him the entire time. Her fingers ran up and down his back, leaving a trail of passion and desire across him. He moved faster over her, supporting his weight on his hands and looking deep into her eyes. She was beautiful. Her smile was perfect. This moment was perfect. Something he'd longed to have for years. He wasn't about to spoil it now. Her skin glistened in the soft light of the room and her chest rose and fell with each passionate breath. When he slipped a finger between them to bring her pace nearer to his, he felt the moist desire raging through her entire body. Her body shuddered and her legs tensed around him, pulling him even closer into her. His hips expertly moved rhythmically over her, eliciting more passion filled shudders and moans.

He felt himself nearing climax after several passionate minutes and wanted to bring her with him. He slowed down his movements, but continued to play with her between his fingers. She cried out his name when he pulled her nipple into his mouth. Her back and hips arched up into him, almost lifting herself completely off the bed. He worked her until he felt her body quake beneath him. With each whisper of his name and moan of pleasure, he could feel himself being pulled towards the edge. He put his weight on both hands again and rocked his hips faster against her. He looked into her eyes as she threw her head back and bit her bottom lip. Her fingers dug into his back, clutching him tightly. He felt every muscle in her body tremble and his own anticipation peaked.

They cried out each others names at the same time and Micky felt more than just tension release from him. He collapsed next to her and rested his head on the pillow, covered in sweat and feeling more alive than he'd felt in years. Their breathing was labored and they were both exhausted. Ginny reached for the blanket and pulled it over each of them before wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against him.

"I love you," Ginny whispered. Micky smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He held her tightly. "I never stopped."

"I never stopped loving you either," Micky answered softly running his hands through her hair. He wouldn't ever let her go from here on out. He would keep her close to him always. He would love her always.


	9. Training

Author's Note: Hey guys. Here's another chapter. Please, please, please review! Reviews are my caffeine and inspiration.

Chapter 9: Training

They'd been in the safe house for a few days and Mike noticed that Ginny and Micky were both actually happy. He'd expected Micky to be mad for at least a week or more, but he was happy. The morning after they'd arrived, Micky and Ginny had stayed in her room for quite some time until Rose reminded them that Ginny needed to eat. Mike guessed from the way they looked at each other and how close they were what they'd done and while he thought maybe it was too soon, they both seemed really happy. So Mike left it alone. He also knew Micky would never do anything to hurt Ginny. The safe house had enough food and supplies to last a week, including some clothes that fit them fairly well except for Davy, who had to roll up pants to keep from tripping. They knew they'd have to go shopping soon, but hadn't worked the dynamics out yet. The four Assassins had spent time in the basement trying to strengthen their muscles and skills. Piper had started teaching Peter some first aid techniques and he was catching on quickly. Davy had tried to work on keeping things organized since he felt he didn't have much else to do. He'd make sure Ginny ate and the kitchen was cleaned after every meal.

After breakfast on the third day, Mike went searching for Rose. She'd barely eaten anything before excusing herself. She hadn't eaten much at all lately. Mike looked in the basement first. Sure enough, she was there. The basement walls and floor were lined with mats that offered protection and there was a rack of weights in the corner, a punching bag hanging from the ceiling and another rack of weapons in the other corner. Tucked away along a side wall were some benches and training dummies; little plastic man shaped dolls that were set up to attack. Rose was working on the punching bag hanging from the ceiling. He stood there for a moment watching her punch the bag repeatedly. She was wearing a small, tight tank top and shorts. Her hair was up in a ponytail. She was beautiful, even though she was covered in sweat. She grunted with each strike and the muscles in her arms were firm and well shaped.

"Hey," Mike said when she took a break to drink from a water bottle.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I came to talk to you," Mike said.

"Can we do this later?" Rose asked.

"Look, I know you're upset," Mike said. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Rose asked.

"Cause I've been mad at you," Mike said. "I shouldn't have been. I know what you did wasn't easy."

"Not exactly," Rose agreed.

"You want to talk about it?" Mike asked.

"About what exactly?" Rose asked going back to punching the bag. "About how I lied to the people I care about? About how I pushed you all away from me to keep you safe? About how all of that was for nothing?"

"It wasn't for nothing."

"Wasn't it?" She landed an angry hit to the bag that nearly pulled it from its hook. Mike moved to hold the bag firmly for her. "You guys got pulled back into this anyway. Micky and your friend both got shot."

"Micky barely got hit and Peter got hurt because we are friends with them. We can't escape who we are. Besides that, you had to do what you did. You were doing what was best. Protecting us. Micky, me, your mother and Ginny. If you hadn't lied to us, he'd have killed us."

"You don't know that." Rose landed one good punch before moving over to one of the benches. She looked down at the ground and cried a little. "I keep thinking...maybe if I'd said something to her...maybe she'd still be alive."

"Rose, you can't think that way," Mike said softly kneeling down and taking her hands in his. "You can't allow your mind to be filled with what ifs and maybes. If you do, it'll destroy you. There's nothing you can do now except keep fighting. It's what she would want."

"Of course I'll keep fighting. But if I'd said something back then…"

"Rose, you have to listen to me. They shared a bed together. He could have easily killed her."

"She wouldn't have shared a bed with him if she knew."

"Rose, stop. You can not do this. You can't think about what may have been. It'll just destroy you. You don't know that he wouldn't have found some other way to kill her. To kill me or Micky. You made a choice to protect us despite what it meant for you. No one should ever have to make a choice like that."

"I just miss her so much," Rose cried burying her head in his shoulder. Rose rarely cried like this. She was always strong. She got emotional when she needed to, but she always kept a level head when it was needed. She'd probably been holding this all in for years, prioritizing finding Robert over grieving her mother and dealing with what had been done to her.

"I know," Mike said softly and wrapped his arms around her trying his best to comfort her. "We all do. She was an amazing woman and I know she'd be proud of what you're doing. You've put everyone else's welfare first for so long, though. You know you don't have to do that with me. You can talk to me."

"No, I can't," she said shaking her head. "I don't want those images in your head."

"They're already in there. Ever since you told me what happened, I've been imagining dozens of different scenarios. I can't help it."

"Mike…" she started but trailed off.

"You don't have to shoulder any of this alone. You aren't alone. I love you. And that means shouldering some of the burden. Please talk to me. Please let me help you." Rose sat there quietly for a minute. He could tell she was thinking. She wanted to talk to him, but she didn't want him to be in any pain. He respected that, but he'd tried to convey that he was already in pain.

"I always knew something was wrong with him," Rose said finally, a tear falling down her cheek. "I couldn't explain it and no one would believe me. I was just the step-kid who didn't want anyone to replace her dad. But I just knew…"

"I know," Mike said.

"I finally got up the courage to find proof," Rose said. "He was supposed to be gone...he was supposed to be on a mission to kill a Templar blackmailing a foreign diplomat. So I picked the lock on his office. I know no one was supposed to go in there, but I had to find something. I was stupid…"

"No, you weren't."

"I forgot to listen. I didn't hear him come in. He grabbed me from behind and wrapped his arm around my throat. I couldn't breathe and the room started spinning. He pushed me down and I hit my head on the wall. He asked what I was doing and I told him. I said I knew he wasn't who he said he was. He laughed and called me a stupid slut."

"You know that's not true, right?"

"I know. He told me I needed to mind my own business. He knew I was sneaking away with you and he actually smiled. He said I should keep doing that because that was a woman's place. A woman's only purpose is to satisfy a man's carnal relations. And that I must have been good in bed because there was no other reason for you to keep me around."

"That's a bunch of bullshit."

"I know. I told him he was wrong. I called him a fucking bastard and told him to rot in hell. He got really mad and kicked my face. I couldn't see anything and the next thing I knew he was pinning me to the ground and ripping off my clothes. I tried to fight, but he was too strong. I tried to scream, but he hit me again. He told me he'd kill me if I screamed. He said he needed to teach me a woman's purpose….then he raped me." Rose looked at her hands the entire time, but Mike could see tears falling from her face. Her voice trailed off and her last words were barely a whisper.

"Rose, I'm so sorry," Mike said softly. "He's wrong. None of what he said is even close to being true."

"When he was finished, he wrapped his hands around my throat and laughed in my ear. I can still feel his breath on my face. He said if I told anyone what he'd done, he'd kill everyone I loved. After that, he came into my room a lot to make sure I still remembered the lesson. After a while I stopped fighting him. He told me to get on my knees and I just did it. He told me to take off my clothes and I did."

"That doesn't change anything. You knew you couldn't overpower him and you knew if you fought too much he'd hurt us."

"I was scared. I didn't know what to do. I'd never seen anyone do anything like that before. I'm still scared. I sleep with a gun under my pillow. I still have nightmares and I can still feel him...I'm an Assassin. I'm from one of the most powerful Assassin families on Earth. And I'm scared." She cried even more now.

"You're human first," Mike said wiping the tears from her cheek and lifting her face to look directly in her eyes. "Humans fear. Assassins fear. It's what makes us fight. We feel that fear and we fight anyway. You didn't fight back then because you knew you couldn't and it would only end up in our deaths. You gave yourself to him because you wanted to keep us safe. That's why I was so mad...he used me to hurt you. You put me, your mother and your brother before your own safety. You'd die for us. You suffered for us. That's why I'm mad. I'd rather have died than let you go through any of that. But you made the honorable choice. You put yourself above others. Exactly what we stand for. And now you ARE fighting."

"Not very well. I went to that soap factory to kill him and save Ginny. I messed up. I failed. I miscalculated and I was outnumbered. I fought, but they hit me from behind. I woke up in a cold, damp room with Ginny taking care of my wounds. I was supposed to have saved her."

"You tried. You didn't fail. Things happen. You're here now. You're fighting now. We all are. By choice. Micky and I didn't have to come save you. Piper and Willow didn't have to help us. Davy and Peter could have gone home. We are all fighting now. Right next to you. You can't do this alone. We are all here for you now. We are all with you now. And so is your mother. She's in your heart. I see her in you every day. Her fire, her strength and her heart. I love you, Rose. You put on this face for everyone around you. You pretend like you're so strong that nothing gets to you. That you can handle everything alone. You're strong, yes, but no one is that strong. You don't have to pretend with me. You can cry; you can be afraid. I will still love you. Please don't pretend with me. Let me help you deal with things from now on."

"I knew there was a reason I loved you," Rose smiled. Her face was stained with tears, but Mike didn't care. He used his sleeve to wipe them away and she fell into his arms and just sat there. He held her as tight as he could without hurting her. She continued to cry into his shoulder getting his shirt wet, but he didn't care. He just held her, softly rubbing her back and whispering in her ear how much he loved her. He wanted it to be his breath on her face she remembered. His touch and his comfort. He would allow her to cry as long as she needed.

* * *

Davy went down into the basement later that night. Everyone else was already getting ready or in bed. Willow was just finishing up an exercise routine when Davy caught her. For a moment he was stunned by her beauty. She was wiping the back of her neck with a towel and barely noticed him come in.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people," she smiled when she saw him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Davy answered. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Sure," Willow answered.

"I know Mike and Micky don't want to teach me how to fight because they're worried about me getting hurt," Davy started, "but I want to help."

"I understand that," she answered. "But they told me about your attempt at a boxing career."

"Yeah, I know I failed that, but that's because the coaches wanted me to," Davy said. "They threw all the matches to rise my popularity so when they bet on me to lose against the champ, they'd win a lot of money. They never actually taught me how to fight properly cause they didn't want me to know how. But if you could teach me...I might stand a chance."

"I don't know," she said thinking it over. "Some people really aren't cut out to be fighters."

"Just give me a chance," Davy pled. "And if you don't think I can do it, you can stop."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "It's going to be a lot of hard work."

"Yes, but I don't want Micky and Mike to know yet," Davy said. "I want to wait to tell them until you think I'm good enough to show them I can do this."

"Alright, show me what you can do."

"Thank you."

"I'm not making any promises yet. I want to see what you can do first."

"That's fine." Davy smiled as Willow motioned for him to move to the punching bag. Davy made a fist and landed a couple blows to the bag. It hurt his hands, but he tried to push the pain to the back of his mind. He thought about what this meant. He remembered the pain on his friends faces and he thought about what Ginny and Rose had gone through. Peter's words echoed through his mind, too. Encouraging him to fight harder. These men were monsters.

"You're letting your anger control your movements," Willow said. "Let your anger guide your strength and power, but don't let it control your movements."

"How can you tell?" Davy asked.

"It's clearly visible in your form."

"Oh, so how do I do that?" Davy asked slightly confused.

"Focus on what you're doing. Don't let the anger up to the surface. Think about the execution of your moves. In a real fight, you'd be focusing on how you're going to react to an opponent."

"Ok." Davy tried again, trying to focus on the motions he was making. He'd only thrown in a couple more blows when Willow stopped him.

"Your feet are too far apart. Here, like this." Willow stepped in front of him and put her hands on his shoulders. She repositioned his arms and legs carefully until she was satisfied. He was overcome again by her beauty and grace, but forced himself to focus on the task at hand. They spent half an hour down in the basement before Willow told him they should call it a night.

"You aren't half bad," Willow smiled. "You got it in you, I think. A little practice and some guidance and you could actually learn how to fight. You need to work on those muscles, too."

"So you'll help me?" Davy asked hopefully.

"Yes," Willow answered. "But you have to know it's not going to be easy. There's going to be a lot of pain and a lot of work. Are you ok with that?"

"Yes. I need to help you guys. I need to do this."

"Good. Meet me down here tomorrow night when everyone has gone to bed. We'll work on your form some more."


	10. Preparations

Author's Note: Hey guys, I want to take a minute to ask for some help. A good friend of mine and fellow Monkee fan and writer needs help. Midgie! The amazing mom is now sending her little boy off to college. He's been working for a while and doing classes at a community college, but now he's moving away to a university. He's got some money coming in from grants and loan money, but he needs a bit more. Midgie has started a gofundme to help support him. He's a good kid, hard worker, and intelligent. I wanna do everything I can to support him. If you would like to help in some small way, message either me or Midgie. Thanks!

Now, onto the fic. REVIEW! :D

Chapter 10: Preparations

They'd been in the safe house for a week now and had spent the whole time working on their skills and improving their strength. Mike and Micky had more work to do than Rose and Willow, but they quickly fell back into their stride. It was like riding a bike. They may not have done it in years, but it's something they'd never forgotten. Regaining their strength, on the other hand, was much harder to do. But they kept at it, working their muscles every day and eating a high protein diet. Micky was starting to feel the strength come back to him, but they still had a ways to go before he was at the level he used to be.

They'd decided to split up when they ran out of food; four of them would go to the store and four would stay home. Since Mike, Micky, Rose and Ginny were much more easily recognizable by the enemy, they'd agreed that the others would go shopping while they stayed back at the safehouse. They knew it would take several hours since they also decided to shop for supplies and clothing. While Willow, Piper, Davy and Peter were out shopping, Mike, Micky, Rose and Ginny were down in the basement. Ginny had finally put on some decent weight and was starting to look a lot healthier. She no longer got dizzy if she stood up too fast and she seemed to have as much energy as she was supposed to. She laughed and her whole face lit up. Her eyes shone when she smiled. Micky didn't have to worry about her health anymore.

"You sure you want to do this?" Rose asked Mike. The two were standing in the middle of the room wearing workout clothing and already sweating from lifting weights. Micky was taking a break and sat down on the bench next to Ginny. The others had left for the store half an hour ago. Mike had just told Rose to spar with him. Micky thought this would at least be entertaining.

"Yeah," Mike said.

"I'm a lot stronger than you right now," Rose said.

"It's not only about strength," Mike smiled.

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you," Rose laughed.

"Are they really going to do this?" Ginny whispered with a slight laugh.

"Should make some popcorn," Micky answered smiling.

"Cute, Micky," Mike said as both he and Rose took a fighting stance. Rose swung a fist at Mike, but he expertly dodged it countering with a low jab towards her chest. Rose jumped out of the way, barely avoiding being hit. Mike quickly followed with another jab that Rose didn't have the momentum to avoid. His hit wasn't strong so she recovered quickly and kicked at him. When he swerved to avoid her feet, she quickly punched him in the gut. He landed on his back and Rose pinned him to the mat.

"I told you," Rose said. "I don't go easy on anyone."

"Are you ok?" Ginny asked worriedly.

"Fine," Mike said. "Round two?"

"Seriously?" Rose laughed. "You want your ass kicked that badly?"

"I need the practice," Mike answered.

"Practice in getting your ass kicked?" Rose laughed. "Practice makes perfect."

"Haha," Mike said. "Let me up?"

"Sure," Rose smiled getting off him and extending a hand to help him up. Mike and Rose went a few more rounds, with Mike only succeeding in pinning Rose to the mat once before they stopped from exhaustion.

"Do you guys feel better?" Ginny asked smiling.

"Aside from the pain?" Mike asked.

"Feels good to let out a little aggression," Rose smiled. "On something other than a punching bag." Rose wiped the sweat from her face before turning to Mike and kissing his cheek. "No offense, honey."

"None taken," Mike answered. "I understand completely. I'm just glad I got you at least once. Doesn't make me look like a total sissy."

"Just a little bit of one," Micky laughed.

"Yeah, I'd like to see how you fare taking her on," Mike retorted. Micky was about to respond when he heard floorboards creaking above him.

"You think they forgot something?" Mike asked, though the tone in his voice was just as nervous as Micky felt.

"Like what?" Rose asked. "They had keys, money and a list when they left." All four of them listened quietly for a moment. The footsteps above them were solid and heavy. And there were more than four. The footsteps were spread out, as if searching the house.

"That's not Peter and Davy," Mike said lowering his voice now. "They have lighter feet."

"And there are more than four people up there," Rose agreed.

"They found us?!" Ginny whispered anxiously. "How? I thought you said this was a safehouse Robert wouldn't know about!"

"I don't know," Micky said reaching out and gripping her arm. He was going to make sure he stayed very close to her. "We didn't know about it; I don't know how he would have known about it."

"Should we try and fight through them?" Rose whispered.

"Ginny, can you tell how many there are?" Micky asked.

"I can try," Ginny said. She closed her eyes for a few moments and they were all silent while she concentrated. Micky knew she could sense if someone was in another room, but he didn't know if she could sense how many.

"There's a lot," Ginny said opening her eyes after a minute. "At least 20, maybe 30. They're outside, too."

"We can't fight that many," Rose said.

"There's gotta be an escape down here," Mike said quietly. "They wouldn't build a safe house without multiple escape paths."

"I think it's through here," Rose answered quietly walking toward the wall where the weights were.

"What about the others?" Micky asked. "We can't just let them come back to this."

"We know where they went," Rose said pushing on the wall to reveal a secret passage. "We find them before the Templars do and we leave. We can't take on that many men on our own. Even with Ginny."

"I don't have my full strength back anyway," Ginny said. "I can try and fight with my powers, but I can't do much."

"It's fine," Mike said. "We find the others and we regroup."

"Lead the way," Micky said motioning for Rose to start down the passageway. Mike followed close behind her and Micky made sure Ginny stayed in front of him. He closed the passageway behind them and hoped they could at least keep that a secret. The passageway had rounded walls made of stone, like a small sewer tunnel. Within five minutes, walking slowly and cautiously, they'd made their way to the end of the passageway. At the end there was a ladder leading up to a hatch.

"Wait a sec," Mike said. "Ginny, can you sense if someone is out there?"

"Yeah," Ginny nodded and closed her eyes. A second later, she opened them again. "I can't sense anything."

"Rose, you go first, just to make sure," Micky said. Rose nodded and ascended the ladder. She opened the hatch slowly and peered out. After a moment, she opened it all the way and reached down to help Ginny out who'd followed behind her. Mike followed closely behind. Suddenly, just as Mike reached the opening, Micky heard a scream. Mike and Micky quickly clamored up and out of the hole only to find two men standing in the setting sun holding Ginny and Rose. Both girls were unconscious and both had a sharp, large knife held at their throats. Micky didn't recognize the man holding Rose, but as soon as he saw who was holding Ginny, his blood boiled and his fists clenched.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," his father said pushing the knife into Ginny's neck.

"What did you do, Robert!?" Mike demanded.

"Relax, they'll wake up," Robert smiled. "Amazing how quickly a little chloroform works. It was easy, really. There's a little talisman I stole from a shaman that blocked your little girlfriend's ability to sense me. I knew you guys would want to leave through that little secret tunnel once we invaded. All I had to do was wait for the two of them to come out."

"Why not knock us out?" Mike asked.

"I wanted you both to see this," Robert laughed.

"I will kill you," Micky seethed. "Let them go."

"That's cute that you think that, son," Robert smiled. "But no. You're going to come with us."

"How did you even find us?" Mike asked as an armored car pulled up. It looked like the kind that delivered money to banks. Micky guessed it probably was. The doors opened and half a dozen men with automatic guns climbed out. "This isn't a safe house our sector of the Brotherhood even uses, let alone knows about."

"No, but it was all too easy to extract its location from an Assassin in the area," Robert said. "Including this little escape hatch. "It took time to find just the right one, but it was worth it. Now, get in."

"What makes you think we're going anywhere with you?" Micky sneered.

"Because if you don't, your sister's blood will be strewn across this forest," Robert sneered. Robert's men pointed their guns directly at Mike and Micky.

"There's no sign of anyone else," said a man coming from the house. "We checked the tunnels. Their vehicle isn't here either."

"The others probably left for something," Robert said. "Just leave them. They aren't worth our time. I got what I need." Micky felt relieved that they were at least going to leave Peter, Davy, Willow and Piper alone. "Get in the van and if you even so much as try to fight me, my boys will shoot you."

"You wouldn't want to kill me," Micky said.

"I could if I had to," Robert snapped. "But as it turns out I need you. I don't, however, need Rose or Mike."

"So then let them go," Micky said.

"They're my leverage, boy," Robert sneered pressing the knife deeper into Ginny's neck from anger. Micky saw blood slide slowly down the blade. "Get in the van, now."

"Micky…" Mike said softly. He knew what Mike would have said if the pair could speak freely. They were outmanned and outgunned. Literally. They had no choice but to do what they were told. If they didn't, Rose would die. Micky reluctantly and slowly walked toward the van.

"That's a good boy," Robert laughed. Micky wanted to strangle his father right then and there to make him stop laughing, but he knew he couldn't. For now he had to cooperate. For now, his father had won. Mike walked over to the van and stood next to him. They were about to climb in when Micky heard a thump. Mike groaned and slumped over into the van. Micky barely had time to register that one of his father's men had hit Mike over the back of the head with a gun before he was hit himself. He blacked out before his body hit the ground.

* * *

Several hours later, Davy and Peter returned to the safehouse. They walked in and only noticed that Micky, Mike, Rose and Ginny were nowhere to be found. Peter didn't think anything was wrong at first; perhaps they were just down in the basement. Peter set the big load of groceries that had been weighing his arms down on the table with a thud.

"Don't break the eggs," Piper warned as she set her arm load down on the counter.

"I won't," Peter smiled. "Eggs are on top."

"Guys, we're back!" Davy hollered down to the basement once he'd released his pile.

"This is the last of it," Willow said plopping another pile down.

"Guys?" Davy repeated after a moment or two of silence.

"I don't think they're down there," Willow said peering down into the dark basement.

"Where are they?" Piper asked frowning. "Micky!?" When they got no reply, the four of them split up and searched the house. Fifteen minutes later, they'd met in the kitchen again. Peter was about to voice concern when William burst through the door in a panic.

"You guys need to leave," he said. "Now."

"What? Why?" Willow asked.

"One of my colleagues was tortured and killed," William said. "We only found him this morning. He's been dead for a week."

"That's awful," Davy said. "But what's that got to do with us?"

"They torture for information," Willow said solemnly.

"They kill when they get it," Piper agreed.

"Which means they know where you are," William said. "We need to leave."

"Too late," Piper said. "The others are gone."

"Gone?" William asked.

"We can't find them," Peter said. "We went shopping and they aren't here. You don't think…"

"Isn't there an escape in the basement?" Willow asked. "They'd have been down there and maybe they just escaped or are hiding in the tunnel."

"Yes," William said. They all followed him in silence down to the basement and through the escape tunnel. There was no sign of their friends anywhere, but they followed the tunnel to its end. When they emerged, they all began looking around. It was dark now, so Piper and Willow turned on small pocket-sized flashlights and searched the area.

"No-" Piper said trailing off as her light shined on the ground not far away.

"Tire tracks," William said peering at the ground. He knelt down to inspect the imprints. "Fresh. Couple hours old. Big vehicle."

"Guys," Willow said holding up a small cloth. She waved it under her nose carefully.

"What is it?" William asked.

"Chloroform," she answered.

"Is that...is that blood?" Davy asked looking down not far from where the tire tracks were. "Please tell me that's not blood."

"It's not a lot," William said after he looked. But Peter's blood was still cold. His friends had really been taken. "They're not dead."

"Gee, that's such a comfort," Piper snapped.

"What do we do now?" Peter asked.

"There's not much we can do," William sighed. "They're still outcasts. Assassin's won't scramble to help them. Not even Rose. And no one is convinced Robert is a traitor. They think he's a bad father, but not a Templar. So we won't be getting any help."

"Way to instill confidence, Dad," Willow muttered.

"I get it," William said. "I do. But I'm not going to sugar coat anything. This is really bad. We have but one option. I will go try and look for them. I'll find out where he's keeping them. You need to make sure the four of you are ready when I do."

"But-" Willow started.

"Willow, honey, I know you want to help, but these boys are all we will have when we go against them," William said. "I need to trust that you and Piper will teach them what they need to know. If we go charging in unprepared, we'll be slaughtered."

"He's right," Piper said. "And it won't go any faster if we all look for them anyway. Your father has better contacts and resources than we do."

"So where do we go?" Davy asked.

"We stay here," Piper answered. Peter and Davy were about to protest, but she held up a hand and silenced them. "I know it sounds counterintuitive, but trust me. If they'd wanted to grab us, they would have. I doubt they saw either of you two as a threat. An oversight I hope to throw in their faces. And they'll think we're going to run for the hills. So they won't look for us here again anyway."

"She's right," William said. "But you can't leave. If they see any sign of activity, they'll know you stayed and just kill you for the fun of it. I will bring food and supplies. I will check in by phone twice daily. Just be ready when I find them."

"We will," Davy said defiantly. Peter could tell Davy was more angry than scared. That's how Davy was. A fighter right to the end. Peter wasn't. He was terrified and he thought any moment he'd throw up or his legs might suddenly stop working. He tried to summon the strength he'd need to save his friends, but for the moment, he was incapacitated by fear.


	11. Punishment

Author's Note: I know I said I'd be gone for 3 weeks, but turns out I wasn't cut out for 3 weeks of field work. I'm overweight and have arthritis and stuff, but thought I could push through anyway. I made it a week, which is longer than the teacher thought I'd last, and had to throw in the towel. Not to worry, teacher is gonna try and give me an incomplete and a side project later to finish the class, but he has to get permission from the program advisor lady and collaborate with one of my other teachers on just what that project should be so I can still get my Bachelor's degree in Geology this December. Here's hoping. And here's another chapter. I am still really sore, so sorry if its bad.

And warning: this is where it gets dark and violent.

Chapter 11: Punishment

Mike's head was pounding. He couldn't move, but he heard sounds; distant voices. He tried to open his eyes, but as soon as the light touched his eyes, pain tore through his head forcing him to close them again. Trying to move caused a lot of pain to rip through his body as well. His hands, he soon noticed, were tied behind his back. So he tried instead to just focus on the voices he heard.

"That's a good girl," Robert was saying. "Don't ever disobey me again."

"I won't, sir," he heard Ginny answer softly. Mike could tell from her voice alone that she was crying a little.

"You weren't alone in this, you know," Robert said. "You're friends helped you. Let's wake them up and show them what it means to cross me."

"No!" Ginny nearly shouted. "Don't hurt them. They...they don't know the rules."

"How else will they learn?" Robert asked. Mike slowly opened his eyes now. It took a few moments for the fog to clear, but he saw he was lying on a hardwood floor. He moved his eyes around the room more, ignoring the pain he felt in his head. Mike saw Robert standing next to a bed with some other woman Mike didn't recognize, but didn't see Ginny. He assumed she was on the bed, obscured by Robert and the other woman. He couldn't see Micky and Rose, but felt an arm slumped over his feet. He assumed they were lying by him, but he wasn't at a good enough angle to see them. And he still couldn't move.

"They'll learn; you don't have to punish them," Ginny said.

"It doesn't work that way, sweetie," Robert said. Mike's stomach clenched. "Disobedience demands punishment. You know that."

"Punish me," Ginny pled. "They didn't know what they were doing. Punish me, not them."

"They need to learn what happens when you cross me," Robert said.

"They will," Ginny said. "Please don't hurt them. Let me take their punishment. They'll learn."

"Wake up our friends, Darla," Robert said. The woman next to him moved towards Mike. When she moved, Mike finally caught a glimpse of Ginny. She was sitting in the bed and holding a sheet tightly to her bare chest. Her hair was disheveled and tangled and a small tear slid down her face. Mike instantly knew what all that meant and his stomach clenched even tighter.

"No, please!" Ginny begged.

"Enough!" Robert snapped and Ginny immediately fell silent.

"This one's already awake," Darla said when she kneeled down next to Mike.

"Sit him up," Robert said. Darla yanked Mike up with a strength he wasn't expecting from her small frame. She pushed him against a wall so he was sitting upright, but his head smacked against the wall a little. More pain shot through his head, but he pushed it aside. Mike could now see Rose and Micky slumped over at his feet. Micky had dried blood that had dripped down the side of his face and Rose was a little pale. Darla moved over to them and held a small vial under their noses. They both woke up quickly, but groaned in pain.

"What's going on?" Rose mumbled. Both her and Micky's hands were tied behind their backs as well. Darla grabbed each of them by the shoulders and pinned them against the wall next to Mike.

"So nice of you to rejoin us," Robert sneered. Rose looked around, clearly very confused.

"Rose, I'm sorry," Mike said softly. "He grabbed you as soon as you and Ginny came out of the tunnel. It was a trap; he was waiting for us. He knocked you out with chloroform."

"I will kill you, son of a bitch," Micky spat when his eyes fell on Ginny, still holding the sheet tightly and hanging her head down low.

"Is that any way to talk to your father?" Robert asked. "I taught you to be more respectful than that."

"You don't deserve my respect, bastard" Micky answered.

"Watch your tongue," Robert said. "You're already in trouble. You took Ginny and Rose from me. That can't go unpunished." Robert reached behind his back and pulled a whip out of a back pocket. Mike tensed and he felt Rose do the same next to him. "Ginny, kneel down on the ground."

"Don't-" Micky started but Robert cut him off.

"Shut your mouth!" Robert yelled with such anger that Mike instinctively shrugged away. He couldn't believe this was all really happening. He looked at Robert, the man who'd helped raise him; his best friend's father. Robert had taught them how to fight. And now, the man who Mike used to look up to was hurting them. How could this have possibly gone so wrong. He couldn't even imagine how Micky was feeling. "Do you really want to make things worse for yourselves?"

"I don't really care what you do to me," Micky argued even as Ginny did as she was told. SHe kneeled down on the ground, still clutching the sheet.

"Yes, I know," Robert said. "Your mother was like that. Always putting herself above others."

"Don't you talk about her," Rose said.

"I guess your girlfriend is like that, too," Robert said. "The difference is, she's more well behaved than you are. She does as she's told. I only had to punish her a few times before you took her away from me. But she's certainly still loyal to you. She volunteered to take your punishment."

"What?" Micky asked.

"Don't you think you've already done enough?" Mike spat. Robert only smiled and moved behind Ginny.

"Don't you dare," Rose said boldly as Robert raised the whip above his head. Robert ignored her and brought the whip down on Ginny's back. The whip made a sickening crack. Ginny stifled a scream and Micky struggled to try and get up. Mike wanted to run to her rescue too, but knew it would be fruitless and only make things worse.

"SIT DOWN!" Robert boomed at Micky. Darla pushed Micky back towards the wall so hard Mike felt the wall shake a little when Micky's head bounced against it. "Not another word out of any of you! No one else speaks until I tell them to. Unless you'd like to extend your punishments and make things worse for Ginny."

"Be good little boys and girls," Darla laughed. Robert simply smiled and raised the whip again. Mike looked away, refusing to watch.

"Here's your first lesson," Robert said bringing the whip back up again. "You disobey me the first time and you get two lashings." Mike cringed when he heard the crack of the whip a third time. "Since each of you disobeyed me, that's two lashings for each of you."

"But your little bitch volunteered to take your lashings for each of you," Darla whispered to Micky, but still loud enough for Mike and Rose to hear. Mike thought Micky would immediately lash out, but as soon as Darla spoke, Robert brought the whip down on Ginny a fourth time. This time she screamed and fell forward onto her hands as Mike looked back at her for a moment. Anything Mike, or Micky and Rose for that matter, wanted to do was lost in that moment. They wouldn't dare do anything to bring more pain to Ginny.

"Get up," Robert said. "You volunteered for this. If you can't take it, I can move on to your friends."

"No," Ginny said pushing herself back to a kneeling position. Mike could see the pain on her face and wanted desperately to do something for her. But he feared if he even so much as uttered a syllable, Robert would add more lashings. So he looked away again. Rose buried her face against Mike's shoulder, trying not to look either.

"Hey!" Darla said slapping Rose. "Pay attention! No looking away! This is your punishment!" Mike forced himself to look back. It killed him, but he was afraid that not doing what he was told would make things worse. He knew it would. Rose reluctantly lifted her head up and looked at Ginny. Once he was satisfied they were all watching, Robert brought the whip down on Ginny a fourth time. Ginny screamed and Mike cringed. He wasn't sure how much more of this any of them could take. He glanced over at Micky and saw something he'd never seen before on the face of his best friend. His jaw was clenched in anger, sorrow darken his face, and fear flash across his eyes. He could tell all three of them were trying hard not to react the way they wanted to. They all knew it wouldn't end well at all. Finally, Robert brought down the whip a sixth time; two for each of them. Mike was pretty sure Ginny had already received her punishment and she'd only get six lashings for each of them. Rose and Micky were still tense, unsure if there would be more, but Mike finally relaxed a little. He knew it was over.

"That's a good girl," Robert sneered. Mike could almost see Micky vibrating with anger. Before Mike could whisper to Micky to keep his cool, Robert moved in front of Ginny, still desperately crutching the blanket to her chest and shaking. "Now, have we all learned to behave?"

"Yes," Mike spat before Micky could say something they'd all regret.

"Is that how you speak to me?" Robert sneered. "I helped raise you. I put food on your table. All out of the goodness of my heart. Don't you think I deserve a little more respect than that?"

"You didn't raise me," Mike said. "If it weren't for Micky's mother, you would never have taken me in. She's the one who raised me. She's the one who fed me. You don't get any of the credit. Diana does."

"Come again?" Darla sneered as Robert's hand tightened around the whip again. "You will speak to him with respect."

"I merely wanted to make sure we all speak the truth here," Mike said catching himself and forcing himself to swallow his anger. "Isn't that the most respectful thing to do? Not lie to each other? In all truth, you would have turned me away. You didn't do anything out of the goodness of your heart, Sir. You did it because Diana wanted it."

"He's right," Robert said just as Darla moved to hit Mike. "I wouldn't have taken him in. And we shouldn't lie to one another. But I will ask you again, all of you, have you learned your lessons?"

"Yes, Sir," Mike answered.

"Yes, Sir," Rose echoed, although her jaw was just as tense as Mike and Micky's. Micky only nodded. Mike knew it was to keep himself from saying something he regretted.

"Well, let's test that, then," Robert said. "Darla is going to cut your ropes but none of you are going to move until Darla and I leave this room. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir," Rose and Mike said tersely.

"Micky, I hope you aren't responding because you're biting your tongue like a good little boy?" Robert said as Darla pulled a sharp knife out of her waistband and moved toward Mike. Micky only glared at Robert.

"I assure you, he understands very clearly," Mike said.

"I know what you're thinking, Micky," Robert sneered walking towards them and putting the whip back in his back pocket. "You're thinking you outnumber us? Three of you against two of us. Four if you count Ginny, though I wouldn't count on it given her condition right now. But you're forgetting something."

"What's that?" Micky asked through gritted teeth.

"I have the upper hand," Robert smiled. He pulled out a gun and pushed it directly against Rose's forehead. She shrank back a little, but he still held the gun firmly against her head. "You even so much as twitch and I pull this trigger. Understood?"

"Yes," Micky said, a little more scared than before.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that," Robert said.

"Yes, Sir," Micky said firmly.

"That's a good boy," Robert said almost laughing as Darla cut the rope from Mike's hands. He was free, but he still couldn't move. He didn't dare even breathe too deeply. He wasn't sure how much of a sensitive trigger finger Robert had and he didn't want to test it. Mike's eyes darted over to Ginny to make sure she was still ok. She hadn't moved either. She'd been through this; she knew what would set him off. Once Rose and Micky's ropes had been cut, Darla and Robert moved toward the door, but the gun stayed trained on Rose's head.

"Don't move," Darla reminded them.

"You will enjoy my hospitality while you're here," Robert said. "Dinner will be in an hour. Bandages are in the bathroom. More beds will be brought in after dinner. I suggest you make the most of them. I have a feeling you'll be here a long time." Without another word, Robert and Darla turned and left out the only door in the room. It shut behind them with a metal clang; the door was solid steel. Micky, Mike and Rose instantly sprang up and rushed toward Ginny. She fell forward, right into Micky's arms and started crying.

"Ginny, I'm so, so sorry," Micky said holding her tightly to him. Mike took one look at the wounds on her back and wanted to throw up.

"Rose, go get those bandages," Mike instructed. "Micky, help me get her to the bed." Rose nodded and ran for the bathroom; a small wooden door behind the only bed in the room. Mike took one of Ginny's arms and looped it over his shoulders to allow he and Micky to carry her to the bed without jostling her back too much.

"I'm so sorry," Micky said to her again when they had carefully laid her in the bed on her stomach. Rose came out of the bathroom and set a bag down on the bed and a bowl of water on the floor.

"It's not your fault, Micky," Ginny said softly as Mike started cleaning her back with the water and a cloth from the bag. "You did everything you could. I know you did."

"I swore to you that you were safe," Micky said clutching her hand. She winced in pain and squeezed his hand as Mike wiped the warm water across her wounds.

"It's not your fault," Ginny repeated. "No one could have foreseen this."

"I don't get it," Rose said slightly exasperated. "How the fuck did they even get the drop on us? You checked to see if they were there."

"He said he used an amulet to block me," Ginny said. "They were prepared. There's nothing any of us could have done."

"We'll get out of here," Mike said.

"How?" Micky asked. "That door is solid steel and the walls are brick. We aren't getting out of this room."

"He made one mistake, Micky," Mike said.

"Not from where I'm sitting," Micky argued.

"Look around you," Mike continued. "There's only four of us. That leaves Piper, Willow, William, Peter and Davy out there. He didn't care about them. He didn't view them as a threat. He underestimated them. You heard him. They'll get us out of here."

"How long with that take?" Micky asked. "It took Rose five years to find Ginny in the first place."

"It took me five years to find her cause he kept moving her," Rose said. "He's not gonna be able to move all four of us. And your friends are not going to give up on you."

"Ginny spent five years not giving up on you, Micky," Mike reminded him. "Don't you give up after an hour."

"I'm not giving up," Micky said. "I'm just pissed. I want to kill him, but I can't. I'm pissed."

"We all are," Rose said. Mike finished washing the wounds on Ginny's back and dug around for some bandages. There weren't any big enough, so he had to make do with lining up enough small ones before taping them down to her back. Rose walked over and picked up a pile of clothes next to the ground. They were the clothes Ginny had been wearing and they were torn. Anger flashed on Micky's face when he saw them.

"We need to do our best to keep our cool," Mike said. "I think he made it pretty clear that if even look at him the wrong way…"

"I know," Micky said kissing Ginny's hand softly. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop, Micky," Ginny said. "You didn't do anything. This is not your fault. You did everything you could. We all did."

"I let you down," Micky said.

"No," Ginny said forcing a smile. "You've never let me down. You could never let me down." Ginny closed her eyes and soon passed out from pain. Micky never let go of her hand. Rose began to look for a loose brick or something they could use around the small room they were in and Mike moved to try and clean Micky's head wound. Micky was slightly startled, not even knowing he had one, but let Mike tend to him anyway. And they sat in silence, not knowing what else to say or do. Mike knew in his heart he was right. Robert underestimated Davy and Peter and the others. And that would be Roberts downfall. They just had to hold on until then.


	12. Hope

Author's Note: Hey guys, thanks for the support. Here's another chapter and review! It makes me happy and I've not had a good past few days...doctor says I'm not allowed to cook anymore cause I hurt myself pretty bad. Just ask my beta, Di. lol.

Chapter 12: Hope

Micky sat on the edge of the bed they'd put Ginny on. Hours after treating her back, she was now sitting up, dressed in sweats Robert's men had brought along with dinner and three more beds. Micky had tried to get her to lie down, but she refused. None of them really felt like relaxing much. Mike was sitting on his bed with his back against the wall and his head buried in his hands and Rose was pacing. None of them had spoken much over the past several hours, still taking in everything that had happened and wanting to be quiet while Ginny rested.

"We do outnumber them," Rose said. For the past five minutes she'd been trying to come up with ways to escape. "We could just attack the next time they come in and feed us."

"He'd be expecting and prepared for that," Mike said looking up.

"And when we fail, he's just going to punish us," Micky said. "I can't do that to Ginny."

"No, next time he's gonna punish us," Mike corrected. "Ginny took the beating for us this time, but he's not gonna let her take it again."

"I'm not gonna let her take a beating again," Micky said.

"You don't exactly have a choice," Ginny said. "He wants me to get him that artifact. He's going to torture me to get me to do it."

"I'm not exactly sure about that," Mike said.

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked. "What else would he want? That's why he took Ginny in the first place. Tortured her for five years to get her to tell him where it was. Now he needs her to open the box."

"No, I know that what he wants is that artifact," Mike sighed. "But I just don't think he's going to torture Ginny to get it. When he knocked you guys out, he kinda taunted us. He said he needed Micky. He was ok with killing me and Rose, but he needed Micky. He tortured Ginny for five years to no avail. She endured five years of her own physical pain without giving in to him. He knows he has to try something else. If physical pain won't do it…"

"Emotional pain will," Micky finished for him. He'd thought about it since he'd woken up, but he couldn't voice it. "He's going to torture me instead."

"What?!" Rose exclaimed.

"Ginny's love for Micky is what kept her going for five years," Mike said. "He understands how powerful that is. He's going to use that against her now."

"Yes, but it can't work," Micky said looking at Ginny who looked heartbroken now. "You can't give in, no matter what he does to me."

"Micky, you don't know what he can do," Ginny said crying a little.

"I don't care," Micky said cupping her face in his hand.

"I do!" Ginny answered pulling back from him. "I know exactly what he's capable of and I can't watch that happen to you, too!"

"You have to, Ginny," Micky argued. "Even if he kills me. I know it's not going to be easy or-"

"Easy?!" Ginny exclaimed. "Of course it's not going to be easy! It's going to be impossible! You don't understand. He's not going to kill you, Micky, he's gonna make you wish he killed you. I know. I knew the world would be safer without me and I even tried a lot of times. He'd never break me if I died, but he never let me. He had a doctor treat me and save me. But each time, I wanted to die. I know I never lost hope that you would come save me, but sometimes the pain was just too much and I thought I was going to give in, so I wanted to die."

"You never told me that," Micky said feeling his heart break into thousands of little pieces at her words.

"I didn't tell you because I knew it would upset you," Ginny said. "I didn't think it would matter because it was supposed to be over."

"I'm sorry," Micky said. "I know it was supposed to be over. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," Ginny said relaxing a little. "I just...you don't know what it's like. Five years of it...yeah, I wanted to die."

"We won't have to wait that long," Mike said getting of the bed and walking over to Micky and Ginny. "They won't let us. Davy and Peter aren't going to do anything until they find us and neither will Piper."

"We just have to hold on a little while," Micky said. "Please, Ginny. I understand he is going to torture me, and I can take it. You have to promise me that no matter what he says or does to me, you will not give in. You will not open that box."

"I don't know if I can," Ginny said. "I've already proven to him twice that I'll do whatever it takes to protect you. I've let him hurt me over the rest of you twice now. I don't know if I can just let him hurt you."

"Ginny, he's right," Mike said sitting on the other edge of the bed next to Ginny. "It's not going to be easy. It's going to be extremely difficult. But it's not going to be impossible. You have to remember, we're only four people. Four people in a world full of millions of people. Billions, even. And if he gets his hands on that artifact everyone in the world will be his personal little play things. That's what the Templars want. They want to control everyone in the entire world. He'll be made Grand Master of the Templars and he'll do whatever he wants to anyone he wants to. Even if he says he's gonna leave Micky alone and not hurt him if you open that box, he won't. If he says he'll let any of us go, he won't. He's a liar. They all are. You can't trust him. You just have to keep telling yourself that. We are only four people. We don't matter."

"Spoken like a true Assassin," Ginny said with a pained laugh. "Always putting yourself above others."

"He's right, though," Rose said. "None of us care what he does to us. As long as he never gets his hands on that artifact."

"Promise me," Micky said pulling her closer to him.

"I promise," Ginny said wrapping her arms around him and sobbing a little.

"We'll get out of this," Mike said resting a hand on Ginny's shoulder trying to reassure her. "It just may take some time. But I promise we'll get out of this. I know how strong you are, you just have to stay strong for a little longer."

"How long will that be exactly?" Rose asked. "A week? A month? A year?"

"I don't know, Rose," Micky answered. "But to me, it doesn't matter, and it shouldn't to you either."

"No, it doesn't matter," Rose said sinking onto the bed Mike had just vacated. "Of course I'll do what it takes to save the world from that artifact, I just...I find it hard to have faith in two boys who have never set foot in a training facility. No offense to them; I love them and they're amazing boys, but they're just that."

"They're no younger than us," Mike said.

"They're untrained," Rose argued. "They can have the desire to find us all they want, but without training, they can't really do anything."

"You remember that story Mom told us when we were young?" Micky asked.

"She told us a lot of stories," Rose said.

"This one was about the Italian Renaissance," Micky said. "A boy lost half his family in one night to the Templars. He'd never heard of them or the Assassins. He had no idea who his father was or what his father fought for. He'd never had any training; barely ever lifted a sword. But he had friends who showed him how to fight. He not only avenged his family, but he took out some of the most powerful Templars in history, including the Pope."

"Ezio Auditore," Rose said. "One of the most powerful man history has never heard of and one of the most powerful Assassin to walk the earth. But what does this have to do with us?"

"It's not just a story of a powerful Assassin, but it's a story of will," Micky said. "Love and friendship. Piper will teach them how to fight and I know they can learn."

"Davy is actually pretty adept with a sword," Mike said with a smile. "I almost forgot about that. He had fencing lessons when he was a kid back in England."

"They can learn and they will come for us," Micky said.

"They have no idea where to look for us," Rose said.

"What if I can help with that?" Ginny asked.

"What do you mean?" Micky asked.

"When I was little, I had nightmares and I'd pull my grandmother into my dreams," Ginny said as she pulled away enough to look at Micky in the face. "I have never been able to do that since, but Grandma said I had the same gift she did. It's rare, but some witches can actually communicate with others telepathically, even at great distances. I tried to do it before with you, but I was too weak. I don't think we've been in here long enough for the air to affect my powers that much yet. I might be able to try."

"That sounds like it'll drain you," Micky said.

"Most likely," Ginny said. "But if it'll help…"

"It could, but we don't even know what to tell them," Mike said.

"So we find out," Rose said. "If she can pass along a message, then we'd better find out what that message is."

"How?" Mike asked.

"By listening very carefully," Rose answered.

"Diana tried to teach me that," Mike said. "It never really took."

"Yeah, it was hard for me too," Micky laughed. "You can't think of it as listening to silence, but think of the air as if it were a song. The tiniest noises are notes on the wind."

"I never thought of it like that," Rose smiled.

"Worth a try," Mike said.

"I'll go in this corner," Rose said pointing to the left hand side of the room and one of the corners farthest from the door. "You try by the door." She didn't say anything to Micky, knowing he wasn't going to leave Ginny's side. But he was about halfway in between them and could listen from where he was. Mike walked over to the door and stood there while Rose went to the corner. Both closed their eyes and everyone remained as silent as possible. They even slowed their breathing down to keep background noise to a minimum. Micky closed his eyes and listened. He could hear his heartbeat and Ginny's next to him. He pushed that away and listened deeper. After a moment, he finally heard a metallic clanging. He couldn't place it.

"I hear something metallic," Micky said.

"Metal on metal," Rose confirmed. "Train tracks?"

"Sounds like it to me," Micky said listening again.

"I think…" Mike said doubtfully.

"What?" Micky asked when Mike stopped talking.

"I don't even know if this is working," Mike answered. "Maybe I'm imagining things."

"What did you hear?" Rose asked walking over to where he was standing.

"I think I hear howling," Mike answered. "Like a coyote or a wolf or something."

"I hear it, too," Rose said after closing her eyes a minute. "You did good."

"I can't believe that worked," Mike smiled. "I thought you guys were just better than me."

"Well, we are, but that's not the point," Rose laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

"So a train and howling?" Ginny asked. "So we're somewhere desolate enough for coyotes or wolves, but close to train tracks."

"That's what I'm gathering," Mike said.

"Do you think you can pass the message on to them?" Micky asked. "It's not much, but it may help them."

"I can try," Ginny said sitting up fully. "I can't guarantee it'll work cause I've never done it before. I won't have enough energy with my back the way it is...I'd have to borrow someone else's."

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

"It's complicated," Ginny said. "I can't really explain it very well, but I can make myself stronger by tapping into someone else's energy."

"What do you have to do?" Mike asked. "Does it hurt?"

"No, it doesn't hurt" Ginny answered. "Just hold hands."

"Let me do it," Micky said turning to face her on the bed.

"You'll feel really weak," Ginny said.

"That's fine," Micky said holding his hands out for Ginny to take.

"If he catches us, he'll know I'm doing something," Ginny said.

"We'll keep an ear out for him," Rose said. "Pull you out of it if we hear him coming."

"It may not be easy to pull me out," Ginny said. "But it should just look like I'm sleeping. Just go with that."

"Shouldn't be a hard sell with your back the way it is," Mike said somberly. Ginny reached out and took Micky's hands in hers. He didn't really know what to do, so he just sat there and held her hands while she closed her eyes. For a while, nothing happened, but after about 10 minutes, she softened. Her breathing slowed and her body went limp. Micky didn't want to let go, unsure if it would break the connection she needed, but Mike rushed over and lowered her to the bed on her side so Micky could still hold on to her.

* * *

Peter was sitting on the beach with his friends. They were laughing and singing. Nothing was wrong. They were happy. Yet something was nagging at Peter. He couldn't figure out what it was, but soon the air around them turned from sunny to dark. Storm clouds rolled over the horizon in almost an instant. Peter looked around and was momentarily blinded by a flash of lightning. When he could see again, Davy, Micky and Mike were lying on the sand, their throats slit and blood staining the normally brown sand a deep red. Peter's heart stopped and he sank to his knees. He grabbed Micky, the friend closest to him, and held him, sobbing. Micky looked back at him with empty, dead eyes. All his friends were dead.

"Peter," came a soft voice behind him. Peter turned to see Ginny standing behind him. "You're having a nightmare. None of this is real. Micky and Mike and Davy are all ok."

"They are?" Peter asked.

"Yes," Ginny answered. "I promise."

"How do you know?" Peter asked. "You're part of this, too. We don't know where Micky and Mike are."

"I'm not part of this nightmare," Ginny said. "I'm real."

"What?" Peter asked confused.

"I'm in your head," Ginny said. "I know it's confusing and I'm sorry to come in without permission, but we needed to get a message to you."

"You're in my head?" Peter asked. He looked at her fully now, wiping tears from his eyes. She looked pale and weak, as though she'd already been through a lot. Her clothes hung loosely from her frame; much too small for her. But he could see the top of a bandage poking out of the back of the shirt.

"Yes," Ginny answered. "I'm here using magic. I don't know how much time I have; I've never really done this before."

"You're hurt," Peter said.

"Don't worry about that right now," Ginny said. "Are you ok?"

"We lost you guys," Peter answered looking down at Micky. "We left and Robert took you."

"You can't blame yourself for that," Ginny said softly.

"If we'd stayed-" Peter started. He did hate himself for what happened to his friends. Not just because he wasn't there for them when they were taken, but because he couldn't do anything for them now.

"If you'd stayed, he would have killed you," Ginny said abruptly. "Or taken you with us. But because he didn't, you can come save us."

"We're trying," Peter said. "Or at least William is. He's looking for you."

"That's good," Ginny said. "I know you are ALL working to save us. And you will. I need to tell you...we don't know where we are exactly, but we're somewhere near a train track, but desolate enough that we can hear coyotes in the distance. It's really important that you remember this when you wake up."

"Train tracks and coyotes," Peter said. He wasn't sure what any of this meant or if this was just his mind trying to make up for the guilt he felt.

"It'll be ok, Peter," Ginny said embracing him. "Just remember this when you wake up. It's really important."

"Right," Peter said closing his eyes. In an instant, she was gone. And he was left alone with his dead friends on the beach.


	13. The Heart

Author's Note: Hey guys, I know it's been awhile since my last post. I had a bit of a block, but here is a long chapter to make up for it. Let me know what you think. :D

Chapter 13: The Heart

Peter woke up from his nightmare, gasping for breath seeing stars. The visions from his nightmare flooded his mind entirely. All three of his best friends lying dead on the beach; a place that had always been so peaceful and secure for him. The emptiness he'd seen in Micky's eyes haunted him and seemed to bore into his head. He sat up and tried to rub the pain and images out of his head, but it simply wasn't working. He was on the couch in the living room. Peter hadn't felt comfortable sleeping alone in the house where his friends were taken.

"Peter?" Piper asked softly lying on the floor next to him. He'd almost forgotten she had laid down next to him to watch over him. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Peter answered. "Just a nightmare. I'm ok. Go back to sleep."

"Peter, you're not ok," Piper argued. "Talk to me. What happened?"

"I don't really know," Peter said. "It started out fine. But then...Davy, Mike and Micky...they died."

"It was just a dream, Peter," she said sitting up on the couch next to him and wrapping her arms around him. He shrugged her off, not wanting anyone to really touch him.

"I know that," Peter argued.

"They aren't dead," Piper said.

"How do we know that?" Peter asked. "We don't know where they are or what happened to them."

"If he'd killed them, he'd have left their bodies for us to find to send us a message," Piper said. "Besides that, he's likely going to keep them alive as long as he can to prolong their suffering." Peter had to admit her honesty was oddly comforting. A lot of people tried to sugar coat things for him because they thought he was dense or fragile and couldn't handle it.

"You sure?" Peter asked.

"Yes," Piper answered putting a hand on his shoulder. He didn't shrug her off this time. "Peter, I promise you we'll find them."

"Ginny…" Peter said remembering the last bit of his dream.

"Yes, we'll find her, too," Piper said. "I don't think he can make her open that box."

"It's not that," Peter said. "She was there. She was in my dream."

"That's not important," Piper said. "It was just a nightmare. It wasn't real."

"No, I-I think she was," Peter said. "She said she was real. That she wasn't part of the nightmare. She said she was really there in my head."

"What do you mean?"

"I think she was using magic. She said she had a message for me."

"What message?"

"I don't really remember." Peter buried his face in his hands. He was trying so hard to remember, but all he could focus on was Micky's dead eyes.

"Peter, focus. Was she trying to tell you where they are?"

"No...Maybe." Peter tried to focus his mind. "I don't think she knows...but…"

"Peter, you have to focus. Close your eyes. Maybe that will help."

"All I can see are Micky's eyes."

"It's ok, Peter. Just keep reminding yourself it's a nightmare. Try to push everything else out." Before Peter could respond, Davy and Willow emerged from the basement. Peter was a little surprised because he thought they'd both gone to bed.

"What are you guys doing?" Peter asked.

"I couldn't sleep and neither could Willow so we decided to get a little training done," Davy said.

"He's actually doing a really good job," Willow said.

"Maybe you could join us tomorrow, Peter?" Davy added.

"Right, cause I'm not doing enough," Peter answered without thinking. "Just waiting around for someone to get hurt."

"What?!" Davy blurted. "That's not what I said! And that's not true!"

"Is that what you think, Peter?" Piper asked softly. "That you think you aren't helping enough?"

"You guys are learning how to fight and I'm learning how to wait and come in after the battle," Peter said. "What good is that? We weren't here when they were taken. We aren't looking for them. So yeah, I'm not helping enough."

"If we had been here when Robert showed up," Willow started, "he would have either killed us or taken us with and then no one would be able to save them. It's good we weren't here."

"Not just that," Piper said. "Just because you aren't going to fight with us, doesn't mean you aren't going to be important in saving your friends. You're not going to be sitting on the sidelines."

"We need your help, Peter," Davy agreed. "We can't do any of this without you. You're the heart, Peter. I've only made it through today because I've had you here with me. You make me smile and laugh every day. When any of us are upset, you're there to make it better. No matter what's happening to us, you've always been able to make us laugh. If the heart fails the body, the body dies. You are the heart, Peter. We would be nothing without you."

"Have I told you why I want to be a doctor?" Piper asked, kneeling in front of him when Peter didn't respond. "I didn't know what I wanted to do in the civilian world. My father, Micky's uncle, died before I was born. I always wanted to be just like him. I thought of nothing else but killing Templars to make him proud; to live up to his name and honor. Nothing else mattered. So when I was 16, my mother took me with her to kill a Templar, I thought of nothing else. She told me he was taking trips to China every year to buy children. Some he'd mold into sex slaves and others into work. I was disgusted by what he'd done, but when I got there, I was terrified. I looked at him and saw a monster, but I also saw a human being. I couldn't do it, so my mother took care of him. When we went to leave, we heard cries in the basement. We investigated and saw children locked in there. Most only had minor injuries, but some were hurt pretty bad. There was one girl who caught my eye because she was four or five and holding a little teddy bear. She was scared and sobbing. Mom started getting the kids out so we could get them treatment. I didn't really know what to do, but I knew I had to help her. She wouldn't let anyone get near her, but somehow she trusted me. She let me wrap a gash on her leg and I carried her back to the car. She never let go of me till we got back to the compound and doctors took over. She wouldn't let them treat her unless I was there; she'd kick at them or bite them. I did what I could to help keep her calm and treat her wound. If I hadn't done that, she might have died, if not hurt herself more. It was then I decided to be a doctor."

"What's that got to do with me?" Peter asked.

"It's proof that sometimes the person who doesn't fight, but stays and picks up the pieces is just as important, if not more important than those that do fight," Piper smiled.

"I couldn't do this without you, Peter," Davy added.

"Ginny came into YOUR dream to give you a message," Piper added. "She trusted you would be able to remember it and figure it out. She needs you, too." Peter looked into Piper's eyes and saw something he hadn't seen there before. He knew she had a big heart and she was caring, but now he saw the depths of how caring her heart truly was. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He forced himself to push aside the image of Micky, Mike and Davy lying dead on the beach in pools of their own blood.

"What?" Davy asked? "What are you talking about?"

"Somehow Ginny passed him a message in his dream," Piper answered. "Something about where they were."

"No," Peter said as he pictured Ginny's face in front of him. When he saw her, he saw the gauze on her shoulder just under her shirt. "They don't know. She's hurt though."

"What did she say?" Piper pressed, squeezing his hands tightly in hers. Her hands felt comforting to him. Ginny's words finally came back to him.

"She said they can hear a train and howling," Peter said.

"So they're somewhere desolate, but near a train?" Davy asked.

"How can we even be sure this wasn't just his mind making it up?" Willow asked. "Not trying to be mean or anything."

"Because it's all we've got right now," Piper said. "We should tell your father next time he calls."

"Alright," Willow answered. "You ok now, Peter?"

"I think so," Peter answered offering a small smile.

"I'll stay with him," Willow answered sitting back on the couch with him. "You guys go to bed. We all need our sleep right now."

* * *

Rose was pacing and it was giving Micky a headache. They'd been in this room for two weeks and hadn't seen Robert return. The only visitors they'd had were men bringing them food, which they ate reluctantly. They were all feeling the effects of the tainted air, but Rose seemed to become more and more agitated with each day. Micky knew her well enough to know it was partly because of who she was and partly because of the poison they were breathing in. Micky sat on the bed with Ginny, having just checked how her back was healing, and she was leaning against his chest. Mike was sitting on his bed watching Rose pace around the room.

"Rose, you really need to calm down," Mike finally said with a heavy sigh.

"I want to get out of here," Rose snapped.

"Pacing isn't going to accomplish that," Mike argued. "Just come rest."

"Why hasn't he come back down here?" Rose asked. "Is he playing some sort of game? Is he working on something really bad?"

"Rose, I don't know, but you need to take a moment and just breathe," Mike said walking over and putting his hands on her arms to stop her pacing.

"I think breathing is what's making her so agitated," Ginny offered.

"Partially," Micky said.

"We should close that vent," Rose said looking up at the vent that was blowing the tainted air into the room. "Give me a boost, Mike."

"Rose, we can't," Mike said gripping her even more firmly now. "We do that and we don't have any oxygen at all other than the little bit that comes under the door and that's not going to be enough for the four of us."

"Right," Rose said. "I knew that. Why didn't I know that?"

"Because you're being drugged and you're brain isn't working right," Mike offered.

"And you haven't slept well in two weeks," Micky added.

"None of us have," Ginny said softly. Ginny was right. When she'd gotten into Peter's dream, she'd passed out for several hours, but other than that, none of them got any more than a few hours each night.

"It's late," Mike said checking his watch. "Come to sleep."

"I can't," Rose said. "Not until I know what he's doing."

"He's doing this," Ginny said holding her stomach. "Making us wait is making you go crazy."

"Are you ok?" Micky asked noticing she looked really tired today.

"I'm fine," Ginny said.

"You don't look it," Micky tucked her hair behind her ear. "Is your back ok?"

"I'm just a little nauseous," Ginny answered. "Probably just the drugs in the air."

"Were you nauseous before?" Micky asked.

"He's probably using different drugs," Ginny said. Micky was about to say more, but they heard movement on the other side of the door. They'd already been fed dinner, so Micky was sure his father was on the other side this time. Sure enough when the door opened, Robert came in, but he wasn't alone. Behind him were several thugs and another man Micky instantly recognized. Micky stood up to guard Ginny as she gasped in fright and clutched his arm. Mike also pushed Rose behind him protectively.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Robert said. "I had to pick up a friend from Italy. You boys remember Francesco, don't you? Rose, I don't think you ever had the pleasure." Francesco smiled at Micky before resting his eyes on Ginny. They all knew who he was. Ginny's father. He was the Master Templar over all of Italy. He'd murdered countless colleagues and enemies to get to where he was. His murders were usually brutally done and framed either Assassin's other enemies. Now he was staring at them with murderous intent in his eye.

"Hello again, Micky," Francesco said in his thick Italian accent before turning to Ginny. "I hear you've been a very bad girl."

"Stay away from her," Micky said.

"Or what?" Francesco sneered. "You don't appear to be in a position to do anything."

"I should have killed you when I had the chance," Micky spat back.

"You tried valiantly as I remember, little boy, but you failed," Francesco laughed. Micky had tried to kill Francesco years ago, but couldn't. His priority then had been getting Ginny away from him and in a safe place. He pushed Micky aside and reached to pull Ginny off the bed. Before Micky could react and reach for Ginny, two thugs grabbed him and pulled him away from the bed.

"Leave her alone!" Mike yelled as more men grabbed him and Rose.

"Don't worry," Robert laughed. "She's already been punished for her escape. He knows that. Everyone needs to remember to behave. Unless you've already forgotten what happens when you misbehave in my absence."

"No, we haven't," Rose said shooting worried looks at Ginny.

"Good," Robert said. "I also had to procure this while I was away." Robert moved away from the doorway and allowed more men to come in carrying a makeshift stretcher with a small metallic box. This box had strange markings on it unlike Micky had ever seen. He was slightly mesmerized by it. For awhile, no one said anything; they all just stared at the box. Finally, Robert continued, seemingly pleased by the awe induced in the room. "I finally found this in the desert outside Phoenix. Not that I had any help. But I had a hard time figuring out how to transport this little wonder. It would seem as though when someone even so much as touches it with their fingertips, it emits a noxious gas that kills you nearly instantly. So opening it to get the artifact has thus far proven impossible and transporting the box extremely difficult. But, Ginny dear, I believe you have a way around that."

"What makes you think that?" Ginny said snidely. Francesco gripped the back of her neck and pinched causing her to cry out in pain.

"Watch your attitude!" Francesco barked.

"Leave her alone!" Micky yelled and started to lunge at them, forgetting he was being restrained. Pain shot through his arms as the men gripped him tighter and yanked him backwards.

"Calm down," Robert barked. "Ginny, I would highly recommend you rethink this whole playing stupid thing."

"What are you gonna do, fuck me?" Ginny spat causing Francesco to grip tighter. Anger flashed across Robert's face and he walked over to Mike. He yanked Mike away from the men who were restraining him and pushed him toward the middle of the room where the box sat. Fear gripped Micky, not knowing what was about to happen but knowing it couldn't be anything good.

"Tell me how to open the box, Ginny," Robert said. "Unless you'd like Mike to give it a try."

"Don't!" Rose screamed, wriggling around trying to break free. Micky tried pulling away from the men holding him, but couldn't break free. He doubted he'd be able to accomplish anything anyway. The four of them were vastly outnumbered and there were plenty of guns in the room. But he also knew Rose, Micky and Mike had all made Ginny promise not to open the box no matter what. Micky felt a knot in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't watch his friend die, but he knew if Robert and Francesco got their hands on that box, all his friends would die. Davy, Peter, Piper and everyone else. Even if they didn't die, they'd be enslaved; their minds and wills wiped and forced to do whatever Robert and Francesco wanted. Micky tried to think of a way to at least stop this fiasco for now, but his brain couldn't work fast enough with the poison in the air.

"Don't do it, Ginny," Mike said as Robert forcefully pushed him closer to the box.

"Shut up," Robert snapped.

"Please don't hurt him!" Ginny begged. Micky's mind raced. He had to think of something. He could divert the attention onto himself, but he knew yelling wasn't going to be enough to do that. He'd have to think of something else.

"Open the box," Robert said grabbing Mike's hair and pushing him to his knees.

"I can't!" Ginny yelled.

"You can't or you won't?" Francesco snapped. "I guess we'll find out pretty quickly, won't we."

"Ginny," Mike said, begging her not to give in. Micky's eyes landed on the guns in the waistbands of the men holding Rose and an idea began to form. Too slowly, however. He couldn't react fast enough to prevent anything. Robert shoved Mike toward the box so his forehead was barely touching the box. Ginny turned her head and whimpered a little. Rose screamed and fought even harder. Micky waited with baited breath for the toxic cloud to consume Mike at any second. But nothing happened. The room was silent once again, but for an entirely different reason. No one knew why nothing happened.

"See? I knew you'd know how to work that thing," Robert smiled at Ginny. Micky glanced over at her, curious himself. The only thing is, she seemed just as surprised as everyone else.

"I didn't do anything," Ginny said.

"Don't you lie to me!" Robert snapped.

"I swear!" Ginny said. "I didn't do anything! I don't know why nothing happened!"

"I don't think she did anything," Francesco said.

"She must have," Robert growled.

"She wasn't even looking at the box or him," Francesco said. "She turned away like a coward."

"Let's just see about that," Robert said. "Bring me Rose."

"No!" Mike yelled, who up until that moment had been sitting on the ground in shock, staring at the box in front of him.

"No!" Ginny echoed as the men holding Rose dragged her closer to the box. "I swear, I didn't do anything! I can't figure out what happened!" Micky knew Ginny was telling the truth. He had know idea what had saved Mike, but he couldn't count on it saving Rose, too. He had to act on his plan. He didn't care what happened to him in that moment. It pained him to admit it, but he knew his father would do everything to make sure he would live. But he hoped enough of a distraction would save her. At least for now. He threw his head back against one of the men holding him and connected with his chin. The man let go of Micky and clutched his chin in pain. Micky knew how to move fast. Too fast for anyone to stop him just yet. He had to piss them off. He grabbed for the gun in the waistband of the guy now clutching his chin, but found a knife instead. He grabbed the knife and quickly plunged it into the man's throat, just below where he was clutching his chin in pain. The other man reacted, as did everyone else in the room. Robert let go of Rose, just as Micky wanted him to and Mike quickly grabbed her and pulled her away from the box. The other man holding Micky grabbed his gun and fired.


	14. Aftershock

Author's Note: Hey guys. Thanks for the support! I really hope you like the next installment. And yes, for those of you who haven't figured it out, I'm taking the mythology from Assassin's Creed video game and putting it in here. That's my other obsession. Not a straight crossover cause I only reference the characters for the game, not feature them. Review!

Chapter 13: Aftershock

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Mike's head was already pounding but as soon as he realized Robert was trying to kill Rose, he ignored the pain. He didn't know what to do, but Micky took action first. He deftly and quickly stabbed one of the men restraining him in the throat. No sooner did the man drop to the ground than the other man pulled out a gun and pointed it straight at Micky's heart.

"NO!" Ginny and Rose both screamed. In the surprise, the men restraining Rose must have loosened their grip because she ran straight for Micky. Ginny raised her hand partway in that second the gun went off. Time very nearly stopped, except Mike never saw the bullet. He only saw Micky drop to the ground and a large red stain appear on his chest. Ginny fainted next to Micky and Rose dropped to her knees to cradle him. The sound of the gunshot seemed to pull Mike back. Despite the pounding in his head, he rushed for Ginny, pretty sure why she'd fainted and knowing he needed to protect her.

"STOP!" Robert roared with anger. Mike was sure Robert wasn't talking to him, but rather the man that had just shot Micky. Mike took Ginny in his arms and held her close to him just as Rose did with Micky, protectively. Robert stormed over to the man who shot Micky and pushed him into the wall. "What do you think you're doing!?"

"He shot my brother!" the man roared angrily.

"I don't really give a shit!" Robert roared back, pulled the gun out from the man's hands and pointed it at his head. The gun went off and the man slumped dead next to his brother and Micky. His blood sprayed all over, including all over Rose, Micky, Ginny and Mike. Mike barely noticed it, shocked at what had just happened. "NO ONE HARMS THEM WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Yes, sir," the others in the room said, save for Francesco who actually seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Get him upstairs to Doctor Lee!" Robert barked. Three of the men immediately moved to grab Micky. Rose let them take him, knowing they'd be the only ones to help him. Mike glanced at Micky as they carried him out. He was still awake; which was a very good sign. Mike thought Robert would leave with Micky, but he didn't. He grabbed Rose by the neck and lifted her to her feet.

"Robert, watch your temper," Francesco said.

"Give me one good reason not to paint the walls with your blood right now and let your brother clean it up for that little stunt of his!" Robert said angrily pinning Rose against the wall, completely ignoring Francesco. Robert lifted her up by the throat leaving her feet dangling off the ground.

"You don't want to do that," Mike said trying his hardest to just remain calm. The pain at the back of his head was spreading and the corners of his vision were starting to blur. "You know you'll just piss him off. He won't learn anything from that. He'll be too blinded by rage. He'll come after you and try to kill you only to die at your hands."

"If I were you, I'd focus on my daughter and your son right now," Francesco said. Robert slowly turned around, but didn't let go of Rose, clawing at his hands. Mike could tell she was weak, likely from the poison in the air. Normally she'd be able to fight off an attack like this.

"What happened to her?" Robert asked.

"She fainted," Mike answered. "With all these chemicals you got pumping in here, it's making us all sick. Look at Rose. You know she'd normally have kicked your ass by now. Ginny saw the love of her life get shot right in front of her. She couldn't take it."

"I told you to hold back on the drugs," Francesco said. "If she's going to be able to do what we need her to, she needs her strength. None of them will attack you. They know better. Now let the girl go and look in on your son." Robert nearly growled and finally let go of Rose. She dropped to her knees, holding her throat and gasping for air.

"Get the box back upstairs," Robert said coldly to the other men left in the room. "And clean this mess up." They nodded and grabbed the stretcher to carry it out of the room. A few carried the two dead men out of the room as well. Robert stood there for a moment before turning back to Rose. Before Mike could react, Robert hit Rose over the head with the butt of the gun. She slumped to the ground, completely out cold. Mike closed his eyes, fighting against the impulse to fight back. He knew if he did, things would go from very, very bad to worse. He waited for everyone to leave the room before he carefully carried Ginny over to the bed. Once he set her down, he rushed over to Rose. Blood dripped down the side of her face from an open wound on the side of her head. Mike carefully knelt next to her and picked her up. Once he set her on another bed nearby, he grabbed a cloth and began cleaning her wounds.

"I tried, Rose," Mike said fighting back tears. He forced himself to focus only on what he was doing. He couldn't focus on anything else, or he'd never be able to do what needed to be done. He cleaned all the blood from Rose, including the blood belonging to the man Robert had shot in the head. Once he was satisfied, he bandaged her wound with the bag of first aid supplies before moving his attention to Ginny. He knew she'd passed out from using too much energy saving Micky more than the poison in the air, but he wanted her to at least be clean. She shouldn't have to wake up covered in someone else's blood. He was sure some of it was Micky's blood, too. He worked quickly, but expertly to clean all the blood off Ginny as well. Finally, he tucked both of them into the beds and walked into the bathroom.

It had already been two hours since Micky had been shot. Mike stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom now cleaning himself up when he couldn't stay strong anymore. A sudden wave of nausea crashed over him as he stared at the bloody towel in his hands and thought of the two unconscious women he loved just outside the door. Not to mention his best friend have very nearly just been shot in the heart. He couldn't help himself; he bent over the toilet bowl and wretched. His throat burned more and more each time he threw up, but somehow it helped him to feel a little better. His body didn't feel quite as tense, yet the pain in his head intensified. It was like something was squeezing his brain.

He leaned back against the wall next to the toilet when he felt like he was done throwing up. His mind went over everything that happened. He'd been terrified when Robert had grabbed him and pushed him toward the box. When he touched it, he knew he was going to die. Instead, images and voices flooded through his head. It was in that instant the pain in his head started. He couldn't understand what was happening and the one person he thought that might be able to give him answers was passed out. He bent his head down between his knees, trying anything to stop the pain. He closed his eyes and the images and voices came back. A burly man stood before him, speaking in a muffled voice. His long black hair was tied with a ribbon behind his head and he had a worried look. Before Mike could understand anything else, the image shifted. Another man, a little farther away and blurry, was yelling at him. Mike felt something around his throat, but couldn't figure out what. He felt as though he was talking, mumbling under his breath, but he couldn't figure out what he was saying. Whatever was around his throat tightened and the image in his head went dark. But he still heard voices.

"Mike?" the voice said. It was familiar this time. He knew it. He forced himself to focus on that voice. "Mike, are you ok?"

"Ginny?" Mike asked suddenly realizing who the voice belonged to. He wasn't leaning against the wall anymore. He was lying on the floor and suddenly felt cold. Ginny was kneeling on the floor in front of him.

"You've been out for half an hour," Ginny said.

"I have?" Mike asked confused. He looked at his watch and saw he'd actually been in here for about 4 hours. He must have passed out after throwing up.

"What happened to you?" Ginny asked as Mike sat up and leaned against the wall again.

"Nothing," Mike lied not wanting to worry her. "I just fell asleep."

"That's not true," Ginny said reaching out for his forehead to touch him softly. "You threw up and you're covered in blood. Your pupils are dilated and you're sweating. What's going on?"

"Stress," Mike answered. "And it's not my blood. It's the guy who shot Micky. Robert put a bullet in his head. I tried to clean it up…"

"But passed out?" Ginny said.

"I didn't even know I'd passed out to be honest," Mike said. "I just needed to rest my head."

"Mike, you can't fool me, this is more than just stress," Ginny said firmly.

"Why didn't I die?" Mike asked after a few moments. "When I touched the box...you said everyone who touches that box dies. Even you."

"I don't know," Ginny answered. "It doesn't make sense to me either. I wish my mother were still alive. She'd know."

"I'm sorry," Mike said seeing a saddened look cross her face.

"Did the box make you sick like this?" Ginny asked focusing back on him.

"I...maybe…" Mike said. He really didn't want to admit any of this to her; he knew it would only serve to stress her out. But something about the resolve on her face told him she wouldn't leave him alone until he told her. Besides, maybe she could get some answers for him. "I've been fighting for so long to keep things together. But my head has been killing me since I touched that box."

"Your head?" Ginny asked. "Maybe I can help with that."

"No," Mike said as she reached up towards his forehead again. "You just passed out by helping Micky. You need to rest."

"Yeah, not really sure how I did that," Ginny said. "I didn't even think about it. I shouldn't have been able to. With the drugs in the air and everything. I just reacted."

"I don't care how you did it," Mike said. "You saved his life."

"Did Robert see what I did?"

"No, he thinks you passed out because you were already weak from the drugs and you got upset when you saw Micky get shot."

"Good."

"I-I saw something. When I touched the box."

"What do you mean you saw something?"

"I can't explain it. It's like...almost like I went somewhere and saw something."

"What did you see?"

"It was mostly blurry." Mike clutched his head as another wave of pain overwhelmed him.

"Maybe you should lay down."

"Like you should be doing right now."

"Ok, we'll both lie down."

"Alright." Mike stood up but felt another wave of nausea drop him back to his knees. He buried his face back in the toilet bowl and felt Ginny's hand on the top of his head.

"I know you said no, but you're in too much pain for me to let you suffer," Ginny said. He almost argued with her, but she was already mumbling something under her breath. When her fingertips grazed over the top of his head, he felt a warm, tingling sensation run across his head. He felt a lot of pressure release on his head and closed his eyes again to fall asleep. When he slept, he finally saw a clear picture of what was in his mind.

 _Two men were conversing around a fire in large, elegant chairs. The men wore white powdered wigs and clothing like those right out of a puritan history book. Mike thought it odd and had no idea what was happening. He felt himself move forward, as if he were inhabiting another body he had no control over. The men turned as Mike approached them. When they saw him, they both stood and bowed in greeting._

" _You wished to see me?" Mike asked in a voice he didn't recognize._

" _Yes sir," one of them said, taller than the other with blue eyes. "We've received reports that the Templars are planning something big."_

" _Big?" Mike asked._

" _They know you're not in Maine," the second said, shorter and with brown eyes. "They're aware it was only a cover and that a look alike is in your place. They plan to draw you out into the open. They think you have the prophet."_

" _Why would they think that?" Mike asked._

" _I don't know, but they want to lure you out to get to them," the taller one said._

" _We cannot let them get to the prophet," Mike said._

" _We don't even know who it is," the taller man said. "But we will find out and protect them."_

" _Do you have something to say?" Mike asked as the shorter man scowled._

" _I don't understand why you would sacrifice yourself for a false prophet," the shorter man said. "You are far more important."_

" _What makes you think the prophet is false?" Mike asked._

" _The Lord is the one true prophet, sir," he answered._

" _The Book speaks of other prophets sent by God himself," Mike said. "Who are we to say this is not the case here."_

" _The prophet has never been wrong before," the taller man agreed._

" _The prophet rarely speaks," the shorter man argued. "Which is why no one knows their identity."_

" _Odd for a false prophet, don't you think?" Mike said. "False prophets want to be heard. Spread their lies for profit or fame. This prophet seeks neither. This prophet also acts without speaking. Saves lives by other means. When he knows of a disaster or attack, he prevents it or keeps people away. He saves lives."_

" _And employs the Devil's magic to do so," the shorter man said._

" _You only call it Devil's work because you do not understand it," Mike said. "The Lord bestowed gifts on other worthy citizens. Who are we to question that?"_

" _You believe in this prophet then?" the shorter man asked._

" _I believe we must investigate," Mike answered. "We cannot assume to know the truth at this venture. We must find this prophet and protect him from the Templars. False or otherwise."_

" _You would still give your life if this prophet proves false?" the shorter man asked incredulously. "You are far more valuable! You have saved thousands! Myself included!"_

" _Every life is valuable," Mike said calmly. "Who am I to assume mine is any more or less than another? That is left for God to judge and not man."_

" _Sir!" a third man exclaimed running up behind them. "I know you said you didn't wish to be disturbed, but I thought you should hear this!"_

" _What is it?" Mike asked._

" _I just received a letter stating that a church in New York collapsed," the man answered. "The doors were welded shut with a weld unlike any blacksmith had seen. No one could get inside, so they held Mass outdoors. In the middle of Mass, the church collapsed. Fifty men, women and children would have been killed if they'd been inside."_

" _Sabotage?" the tall man asked._

" _Not according to the letter," the third man said. "A structural beam had been worn down by ice and rain. Complete structural failure."_

" _I should head for New York," Mike said._

" _Can you be sure this is the work of the prophet?" the short man asked._

" _The weld is a dead giveaway," the tall man answered for Mike. "No blacksmith has ever been able to figure out how it's being done."_

" _Agreed," Mike said. "Before I leave, did you find out what it is the Templars plan to lure me out?"_

" _Just that it involves mass hysteria," the shorter man said. "They managed to get a complete list of our brethren and supporters."_

" _We believe they plan to kill our brothers and sisters to get to you," the taller man added._

" _That would draw too much attention," Mike said._

" _We know," the taller man said._

" _Find out more," Mike said turning to the third man. "I ride for New York in an hour. Prepare my horse." The third man nodded and ran out of the room. Mike nodded to the other two men and swiftly left the room as well._


	15. Dreams

Author's Note: Thanks to whoever "toolazytologin" (not sure who you are) and everyone else. Here's a new one. Hope you like!

Chapter 15: Dreams

"Hey, take it slow," Rose said to Mike when he opened his eyes several hours later. He looked at her and smiled, happy that she was awake and sitting next to him. Somehow he was back, sitting in the bed in the basement instead of in the bathroom. He was very confused as to what he had dreamt, but it had felt weird to him. The memories were still there and even though his head no longer hurt, he held his hand to his head as if that would somehow make things clearer.

"You feeling better?" Ginny asked walking over to them.

"Much," Mike said. "Rose, are you ok?"

"Yeah," she answered as he reached up to touch the wound on her head. "Thanks to you."

"Ginny?" Mike asked, worried about how she'd fared after whatever she did to help his head. He pushed himself up into a seated position and ignored the look Rose shot him. He didn't want to lay down, but he at least leaned his head against the wall which seemed to satisfy Rose.

"Fine," Ginny answered with a smile.

"I told you not to do that, you know," Mike said. "You'd already worn yourself out saving Micky."

"I'm fine," Ginny said. "I couldn't do as much as I normally would have been able to and it did wear me out a little. I had to leave you in the bathroom for an hour until Rose woke up."

"What did you do exactly?" Mike asked.

"I released some tension," Ginny answered. "Expanded the blood vessels. It's not hard exactly, but it does take some out of me. But I'm ok. So your head's ok?"

"Yeah, it's actually much better now," Mike said. "Do you remember when I told you earlier about those weird images in my head?"

"Yes," Ginny answered. "You said they were just flashes of things. You couldn't make anything out."

"Well I had a dream that clarified things," Mike said. "I think maybe that's why my head is better."

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked.

"When he touched that box, he started seeing images," Ginny answered.

"Like a little broken, out of focus movie projector," Mike added. "Only now it's not broken and it was in focus."

"What happened?" Ginny asked.

"It was weird," Mike answered. "It's like I was someone else. I wasn't in control of my body. There were these men discussing a Templar plot and something about a prophet. And they were sort of...Puritans."

"Puritans?" Rose asked. "Like Thanksgiving, early America people?"

"Exactly," Mike said.

"That doesn't make any sense," Rose said.

"I know it doesn't," Mike agreed. "Ginny, I need to know what's happening to me. I know I already asked you, but...you really don't know anything about any of this?"

"Well, um," Ginny said almost nervously. "When I was a little girl, my grandmother had me start this ritual...sort of. It was supposed to help me get in touch with my ancestors. I used a fragment of an artifact and meditated. It's how we all know where the artifacts are buried and how to protect them. We see our ancestors burying them. We saw things through their eyes. I didn't really get to finish before my father killed my mother and took me."

"What does that have to do with Mike?" Rose asked.

"You think that's what's happening to me?" Mike asked. "That I'm seeing something from my ancestor's past?"

"Maybe," Ginny said. "It's just a theory. I don't know for sure. I didn't get to finish my connection."

"How is that possible?" Rose asked. "He's not a witch."

"No," Ginny agreed. "But...there are different artifacts that do different things. There's the most common artifact, the Apple of Eden, that controls humans and takes away their will, but there's also a sword wielded by Joan of Arc, Attila the Hun, and King Arthur, an ankh with healing powers, Moses's staff, and the Shroud of Turin to name a few. They each-"

"Wait, the Shroud of Turin and Moses's staff?" Rose interrupted.

"King Arthur was real?" Mike added.

"Yes," Ginny said. "My ancestors researched miracles and special events throughout history. Sometimes one of us was there, so we could just access the memory. These were all pieces of Eden, as the artifacts are called. They were all protected by Assassins and the predecessors of the Assassin's. Sometimes a Templar would get ahold of one as was the case with Attila the Hun, but usually they ended up in the hands of good men trying to make the world a better place through peace. Like Jesus and Moses. Moses used the staff to save his people and Jesus rose because of the shroud. Joan thought she was talking to God, but it was the sword. It was an artifact. As was Excalibur."

"You're serious?" Rose asked.

"I know it sounds far-fetched, but these are all considered miracles from God," Ginny said. "And in a way, they are. Just a different God than most people thought. You remember, of course, that only King Arthur could pull the sword from the stone, right?"

"Of course," Mike nodded.

"Well that was because, my ancestors thought, he was a descendant of the first civilization," Ginny said. "They couldn't prove it, but only certain people throughout history could touch and use the artifacts well. The others would usually be driven mad or they couldn't make it work at all. The people that could often didn't even know they were doing it."

"Like Joan talking to God?" Mike asked.

"Yes," Ginny answered.

"You're saying Jesus, Moses, Joan of Arc and all those other people are part God?" Rose asked. "Like you?"

"Yes," Ginny nodded. "At least that's the running theory with us. We didn't have DNA testing to prove it, obviously. But it's the only thing that makes sense."

"What's that got to do with me?" Mike asked.

"Each God in Roman, Egyptian and Greek history had different domains," Ginny said. "The Egyptians called my ancestor Isis. She was the goddess of the hearth and fertility. Her descendants are witches today. That much we know. What we don't know is what the attributes of the other descendants are. But we have a theory...some of these people who wielded the artifacts already had special talents. Enhanced strength, agility, or perception. Or all of them. And there were some that would heal really quickly. Or be almost impervious. Agility would go with Hermes, strength would go with Zeus. The god of war could have multiple attributes. Bastet was an Egyptian healing Goddess. I could go on."

"Again, what's that got to do with Mike?" Rose asked, but Mike thought he saw where Ginny was going.

"Mike can see in fog," Ginny answered. "Mike got his arm sliced open when he and Micky rescued me and a few days later it was as nothing happened. He's stronger than most other Assassin's and faster."

"You think I'm a God too?" Mike asked a little shocked.

"You do realize Micky and I have all that, too, don't you?" Rose laughed. "That would me Micky and I are Gods as well."

"Part God," Ginny corrected. "Otherwise you'd be immortal. And I'm really only guessing here. But it would explain why he could touch the box and not die."

"Why?" Mike asked. "You said you couldn't even touch it without dying and you're part God."

"I don't think I can touch it," Ginny admitted. "But maybe I can. It's not like any member of my family has actually tried it. But since it's technology from the first civilization, and historically only first civilization descendants could use them properly, perhaps only first civilization descendants can touch the box."

"So the artifact is implanting some memory of an ancestor into his head?" Rose asked.

"No," Ginny answered. "The memories are already encoded in our DNA. The artifact just makes it possible to access them."

"What?" Mike asked confused.

"How do birds know to migrate south?" Ginny asked. "Or bears hibernate? How does an antelope know to run from a cheetah the first time it sees one?"

"Instinct," Rose said.

"Instinct because that's what they're ancestor's did," Ginny said. "It's called genetic memory. It's what helps determine what you are going to do during a fight or flight scenario. It's engrained deep inside us, but we can't access it."

"That might actually make sense," Rose said. "It's crazy, but when you think about it...we are different than other Assassin's."

"Let's say that's what's happening and I'm getting visions from an ancestor," Mike said. "Why? I'm sure there are hundreds of ancestors in my genes. Why this one? Random?"

"No," Ginny said. "At least it wasn't when I accessed them. Somehow the artifact helps guide that process by picking an ancestor that needs to teach or tell us something."

"So this puritan guy needs to tell Mike something?" Rose said. "What could he possibly need to know about what happened in colonial America?"

"I don't know," Ginny said. "But whatever it is, I can help guide Mike the rest of the way."

"Absolutely not," Rose said.

"I think I get a say in that," Mike said.

"Mike, she said you had a headache so bad you very could barely stand up," Rose said. "With only God knows what's going on with Micky, we need you to-"

"Micky's gonna be fine," Mike interrupted. "He was awake when they took him and as much as it pains me to say it, Robert is not going to let Micky die. He knows now there's too much riding on Micky. He thinks Ginny passed out because she was in shock over Micky getting shot. He knows how much Micky means to her and he needs to use that to get what he wants. Micky's gonna be fine."

"Until they start torturing him," Ginny mumbled.

"We have time to worry about that later," Mike said. "And my head is fine now."

"It wasn't before," Rose said.

"And if he doesn't see what he's supposed to see, it'll kill him," Ginny said adamantly standing up.

"What?" Mike asked.

"The reason your head was hurting so badly before is because you were ignoring it," Ginny said. "It's like something shouting inside your head and if you just keep ignoring it, it's gonna start yelling louder."

"Can't you turn it off?" Rose asked. "You said you didn't finish it!"

"I finished 2 of the 3 ancestors I was supposed to," Ginny said a getting angry. "It was the last ancestor I didn't even get a chance to start. Plus I'm a witch, so I know how to handle magic better than either of you. Rose, I did this when I was 6 years old. If it wasn't safe, why would my family let a 6 year old do it?"

"You were a 6 year old witch," Rose argued. "What if it affects him different because he's-"

"Stop, Rose," Mike interrupted. "Look, I get that the only reason I'm seeing something is because I touched that damn thing, but if this guy has something important to show me, I need to see it. It's my decision. It's my head."

"I'm just scared," Rose said quietly after a tense moment between them. "I lost my mother, and now Micky. I can't lose you, too."

"You're not going to lose Micky or me," Mike said pulling her close to him. He could feel her shudder a little as she stopped fighting back tears. Mike stroked her hair and whispered to her that everything was going to be ok. He just hoped he was right.


	16. Sword Fighting

Author's Note: So Friday I went to a solo Micky Dolenz concert and he did a meet and greet before the show! I got to hug him and take my picture with him! He smiled when he saw I was wearing a tablecloth like his and signed my copy of "Remember". The show was awesome, too! I had a great time! Coco even sang "Different Drum"!

Chapter 16: Sword Fights

Metal clanged against metal as Davy and Willow fought. They were using training swords, dull but heavy. It still hurt when Davy got hit, but he didn't care. The pain only drove him to work that much harder. He knew Mike, Micky, Ginny and Rose were experiencing much more pain than he was. Over the last two weeks Davy had trained every day with Willow. He'd already had really good sword fighting skills from when he took fencing as a kid, but using a sword was a lot different. He had to get used to the weight as he swung and jabbed. But he was learning fast. He'd questioned the use of swords at first when guns were so easily accessible, but Willow told him that it would teach him how to move and react, which couldn't be taught while aiming at a target. It taught skill and discipline and sometimes swords were much better to use in a fight as big as the one they expected because a gun only had so many bullets.

Davy blocked another blow, but felt his whole arm tremble with the force. Willow was quick to react and take advantage of his momentary weakness and knocked him to the ground. Davy was also quick and countered. He fell, but he was able to take her down with him. They both got up immediately, but because Davy was smaller, he was able to regain his balance faster and swung his sword. He felt bad, but it clipped her arm just enough to knock her off balance again. Since the blades were dull, it didn't cut the skin, but Davy knew it would bruise. She countered back, regaining her balance expertly without falling. She knocked Davy down again and held the tip of the sword to his throat. He'd lost.

"Not bad," Willow said with a smile and heavy breath. She tossed the sword aside and held out a hand to help him up.

"Thanks," Davy smiled back, just as out of breath as her, if not more. "I almost had you though."

"Almost," Willow said. "But almost doesn't count in the final battle."

"I know," Davy said. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't really take his eyes off her. She was beautiful. Even covered in a sheen of sweat. "Sorry about your arm."

"Don't worry about it," Willow answered. "I didn't want you to go easy on me. I'm glad you got a good blow in, in fact. Shows you're improving."

"Thanks," Davy said. He caught himself still staring and finally tore his eyes away.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked.

"Wrong?" Davy questioned. "Nothing's wrong. Why would something be wrong?"

"You keep staring at me," Willow said.

"Sorry," Davy said blushing a little.

"Why?" Willow asked.

"I should keep my mind focused," Davy said.

"No, you shouldn't," Willow said. "If you focus your mind only on training and fighting, you'll stress yourself out. Think of it like a rubber band. What we do down here is stretching it taut, and you have to ease up. You need to focus on other things. If you don't, that rubber band will snap."

"Oh," Davy muttered.

"So it's ok for you to talk to me about something other than training," Willow said. "I encourage it, in fact."

"Talk to you?" Davy repeated, blushing again.

"Yes," Willow smiled. "That is generally what someone does who likes someone else."

"Likes?" Davy repeated. He seemed at a loss for words. He wasn't sure why. Normally he was really smooth with girls.

"Davy, you really don't have to be shy around me," Willow said. "I like you, too."

"Shy?" Davy said pretending to be shocked. "I'm not shy. Wait...you like me, too?"

"Why else would you be staring at me?" Willow giggled. "You've been staring at me since we got here. I noticed."

"Yeah?" Davy said smiling a little. She liked him too?

"Yes," Willow smiled and walked closer to him.

"Ok, so we talk," Davy said.

"We've been talking," Willow smiled.

"Yes," Davy said. "We have." He wasn't really sure why he was turning into a babbling idiot. He tried to think of something else witty to say, but couldn't. Instead she leaned down and kissed him. He felt the stress over the last few weeks slowly start to slip away. He felt like sparks were emanating from his fingertips. He felt happy for the first time in weeks. Even the strain he felt in his muscles was beginning to slip away. Maybe she was right; maybe he did need to relax a little.

* * *

Mike was growing worried. It had been almost a full day since they'd seen Micky. He knew they'd have to perform surgery on Micky and that it would take a while, but he was beginning to grow very worried. Even though neither of them said anything, he knew Ginny and Rose were just as worried as he was. Ginny had told them to let Mike rest his mind a little before trying to dive back into another memory from his ancestor or whatever it was, but Mike found himself drifting back to what he'd seen. What did it all mean? What was that man trying to show him? He finally decided to try and sleep. He hadn't shut his eyes for longer than a few minutes when he heard the lock on the door open. He immediately sat up and watched Francesco and a few other goons walk in with Micky on a stretcher. Even though the sight of Francesco terrified him, he breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Micky. He was unconscious, but alive.

"Micky!" Ginny exclaimed and dashed over to him as the goons transferred him from a stretcher to a bed.

"Leave us," Francesco said. The tone of his voice sent chills down Mike's spine. The goons nodded and left when Micky was in the bed. Rose moved to the foot of the bed Mike was lying on to get a better view of Micky, but seemed hesitant to get too close to Francesco. Mike couldn't really blame her; the stories they'd heard about this man proved how brutal he was. "His bandages will need to be changed every 4 hours. He's asleep for now because of the anesthetic, but he should wake up in a few hours. It took quite a lot to save him, but the bullet somehow managed to miss every major organ. Missed his lungs and his heart. Tore just through his shoulder. Some would call that lucky."

"Some?" Mike asked standing up next to Rose protectively.

"I don't believe in luck when there are witches around," Francesco laughed.

"You think I did something?" Ginny asked. "I can't because of the poison in the air, remember?"

"Then how did that bullet miss so many vital organs?" Francesco asked.

"That asshole was just a bad shot," Rose offered.

"Standing right next to Micky?" Francesco scoffed. "I doubt it. Then you factor in that man had been hunting deer and other animals since he was 10 years old. He wouldn't have missed."

"He was angry," Mike said. "People make mistakes when they're angry."

"Maybe," Francesco said. "But again, I doubt it."

"I can't do anything," Ginny repeated standing up to square off with her father. "Don't you think if I could, I would have tried to get out of here by now?"

"Your mother tried," Francesco said closing in on her. "She tried valiantly to use her magic, but she couldn't. It was fun to watch her struggle, but in the end I was stronger. I told her if she tried to escape, I'd kill her whole village. She didn't dare try to escape, but she still tried to fight me off. And when I held her down, she fought even more. It was that fight that aroused me more. No matter how hard she fought, I still took her."

"Shut up," Mike said not wanting Ginny to have to hear any of this.

"It's ok, Mike," Ginny said. "He thinks he can hurt me like this, but he can't. I've heard it all before. My mother was a hero. She could have escaped, but she didn't. She suffered to save her family."

"Until she found out she was pregnant with you," Francesco sneered. "Then all she cared about was her freedom. She tried for months unsuccessfully. I had to keep her sedated, which spoiled a lot of the fun. She even tried to kill herself. Told me she'd rather kill you than let me harm you. Looks like she failed there, too."

"Shut up, you son of a bitch," Rose snapped. Before Mike could stop her, she'd pushed past him and shoved Francesco. Mike tried to grab her before Francesco retaliated, but he wasn't fast enough. Francesco spun around and slapped her hard across the face. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground, hitting the side of the bed as she tumbled. Mike was instantly by her side, cringing at the loud crack that echoed through the room as the bedpost splintered.

"Watch your tongue!" Francesco snapped. He seemed to calm instantly as he kneeled down to their level. "You think what Robert did was bad? Robert was nothing compared to what I can do. I taught him how to torment in the last five years, little girl. Everything he put Ginny through was at my advisement, not his own. What you experienced as a child was nothing compared to what I can do to you. You'd do best to remember that."

"Leave them alone," Mike said. "Ginny didn't do anything. She can't. She's tried. Your guy just missed. He was angry Micky killed his brother and had an unsteady hand. It happens. Deal with it."

"You naive little boy," Francesco smiled. "You don't really know who you're dealing with, do you. Your mother did."

"What are you talking about?" Mike asked, his breath catching in his throat at the mention of his mother.

"You were five when your parents died, am I right?" Francesco said standing up, that twisted smile still clinging to his face. He was enjoying this. Mike wanted to rip his throat out. "But then again, they didn't just die. They weren't even murdered. They were slaughtered. Did you ever find out who did it? Or why?"

"It never mattered," Mike lied, not wanting to give Francesco the satisfaction. Mike stood up and tried to hide the shakiness in his voice. "They were killed by your people because they were saving other people's lives. That's all I ever cared about."

"Leave them alone," Ginny pled.

"Not just my people," Francesco said ignoring Ginny. "Me. Your mother hid you with Diana after I slaughtered her husband. Then she gave herself to me."

"Mike, don't listen to him," Rose said, pulling herself back up to stand next to Mike. "He's lying."

"How would you know?" Francesco sneered. "You were a little girl weeping for the loss of a father she never even knew."

"I don't really care if you're lying or not," Mike said, trying again to sound convincing. Inside his stomach was in knots. He felt dizzy and anger surged through him. He fought to keep his fists from clenching. He didn't know if Francesco was lying or not, but he didn't care. How dare anyone speak about his parents like this. "I made peace with their death a long time ago."

"I'm sure you did," Francesco said. "You must not have had a choice. But they didn't just die. Your mother had the same fire as Ginny's. While surrender usually takes the fun out of things, I still found a way to have fun with it."

"Shut up!" Rose roared and lunged at him one more time. Francesco moved to grab her forcefully, but stopped suddenly. Rose had taken a broken piece of wood and shoved it as hard as she could into his abdomen. It wasn't a death blow, but it was enough to severely wound him. "I've had enough of listening to your lies."

"You little bitch!" Francesco roared in anger. Mike pulled Rose away as Francesco lunged for her again. Francesco missed, but didn't falter. As he moved closer to them, he pulled the piece of wood out and thrust it at Rose. Mike pushed Rose to the ground and took the blow himself. Pain seared through his whole body as the wood splintered through his skin. It didn't go in deep because Francesco didn't use his full strength, but it was enough to nearly knock Mike to his knees.

"Mike!" Rose yelled.

"Guards!" Francesco yelled and two of the goons immediately came back in. "Take her upstairs to my room."

"No!" Mike yelled. He pushed the pain away and tried to get to Rose before the men, but Francesco stopped him.

"I warned you both," Francesco said gripping Mike by the throat.

"Don't!" Ginny said. "Leave them alone!" Mike's vision started to blur, but he watched as Ginny grabbed a knife off one of the goons now manhandling Rose and held it to her throat.

"Don't be stupid, Virginia," Francesco said not lessening his grip. "You kill yourself and I still hurt them. On principle alone. You'll be dying for nothing." Ginny realized he was right and dropped the knife. Mike and Ginny could only watch as the men carried Rose from the room, kicking and screaming. Francesco threw Mike to the ground and picked up the knife Ginny had just dropped. Mike scrambled to get up, but he was too late. Francesco was already at the door by the time had even gotten up.

"Rose!" Mike screamed. He couldn't let this happen to her again. Mike ran to the door, but Ginny stopped him.

"Don't," she said firmly as the door slammed closed behind Francesco. "There's nothing you can do!"

"I have to help her!" Mike yelled.

"You can't!" Ginny argued. "You're hurt; you need to sit down!"

"Rose!" Mike yelled again. His eyes burned with tears. He'd not done anything for her years ago when Robert had hurt her and he couldn't do anything for her now. He knew Robert had already touched Ginny when they were first taken. Micky had been shot and Ginny severely whipped. He was supposed to protect them and he was failing. Mike crumpled to the ground, losing all energy as tears fell down his face. He barely noticed Ginny kneeling next to him. He barely heard her tell him that what she was gonna do was gonna hurt. When she pulled the piece of wood from his side, he gasped in pain and collapsed. He slowly started to fade from consciousness, but he heard himself whisper Rose's name over and over again in a feeble attempt to help her. He closed his eyes as Ginny moved his shirt up to look at the wound and treat it. He felt the cold floor beneath him and finally passed out.


	17. No Longer Alone

Author's Note: Hey guys, as always, please review!

Chapter 17: No Longer Alone

Micky slowly opened his eyes against the harsh light. He'd been awake for a little bit, but hadn't heard anything. He felt the pain in his chest and remembered what had happened, up to the point he'd been shot. He figured he was back in the room with Mike, Rose and Ginny based on the uncomfortableness of the bed and the hand he felt resting against his chest. He knew it was Ginny's. It hadn't moved and he could feel her warmth next to him. He looked at her when he opened his eyes and saw she looked like she was sleeping. She was lying next to him carefully on the edge of the bed, with her hand resting on his chest. He tried to reposition himself to look for Rose and Mike, but the pain in his chest only allowed him to move his head. And he woke Ginny up.

"Hey, you need to relax," Ginny said. "Try not to move."

"Yeah, I don't see that happening," Micky said. "What happened?"

"You got shot," Ginny started.

"Yeah, I mean after that," Micky said. "Getting shot is about the last thing I remember."

"Well, your dad kinda got really mad and shot the man who shot you," Ginny answered. "Or so Mike told me. I kinda passed out."

"You what?" Micky asked.

"I was ok," Ginny insisted. "I just got drained because I diverted the bullet to save you."

"You did?" Micky asked a little confused. "How? I thought you were too weak."

"I don't really know exactly," Ginny said. "Maybe adrenaline. I thought I was gonna lose you."

"You almost did," Micky said. "You're ok now?"

"Yes," Ginny said. "Mike took care of me."

"Where is he?" Micky asked. "And Rose?"

"He's sorta passed out," Ginny said. "Just rest."

"Passed out?" Micky asked. "Why?"

"Just rest," Ginny said. He knew she was trying to shield him from something.

"Ginny, just tell me," Micky said. "I'm gonna find out sooner or later and I'd rather know now when I can't move to do anything about it."

"Fine," Ginny said. "When they brought you back in, my dad was with them. He started saying some things to me to piss me off because he wanted to know how I saved you. I swore to him that I didn't do anything cause I don't want him knowing. He was saying things like what he did to my mom. And you know I'm ok with that cause he used to do it all the time, but Mike and Rose didn't know that. They were only trying to protect me."

"They attacked him, didn't they?" Micky asked.

"Not at first," Ginny said. "They yelled at him and he turned on them. He started saying things to Mike...that he'd killed Mike's parents. Which could have been a lie. I don't know. But it upset Rose even more, of course and she attacked him. So of course my dad attacked her back. She'd stabbed him with a piece of wood from the bedpost and he attacked her back. Mike jumped in front and took the blow. He didn't get the full blast, but enough to knock him down."

"Where is Rose?" Micky said a little more forcefully than he wanted to.

"Micky, I'm so sorry," Ginny said. "I did everything I could. I really did."

"Where is she?" Micky asked feeling his heart stop.

"My dad took her with him."

"No!" Micky said knowing what that meant. "She shouldn't have done that! She didn't know what she was getting into."

"Oh, like you did? Taking a bullet was a good idea?"

"I didn't think they were gonna shoot me!"

"Yeah, well, the guy you killed was the other guy's brother."

"That explains why he was so angry."

"And he did kinda warn her. He told her that Robert was nothing compared to him. I think she believed him and she did it anyway. She was trying to protect me and Mike. You can't blame her for that. You did what you did to protect her."

"It different."

"Why? Because it's her?"

"No, because…" Micky knew Ginny was right. He just really didn't want what he knew must be happening to his sister to happen. "I just don't want this to be happening."

"Micky, promise me you'll never do something like that ever again."

"You know I can do that. If it means saving any of you, I'd lay down my life in an instant."

"But it won't. It may save us in that moment, but we're still here. We're still in danger and he'll kill us eventually. Besides that, I-I can't lose you. I'd be lost without you."

"Don't say things like that. You'll be fine."

"No, I won't. You're all I have, Micky. My whole family is dead unless you count my father and I really don't. I have nothing left. I only have you. That's the only thing that's gotten me this far."

"What about before I met you? You did fine then. You'll be ok without me. You'll find someone else."

"You didn't. You thought I was dead and you didn't move on."

"I never said I was perfect. And I had Mike and Peter and Davy. Without them...I wouldn't have made it and I know that means it's hard for me to tell you to do what I couldn't, but you're stronger than I am. You've been through so much more and you can make it through more."

"You won't be alone anyway," Mike said suddenly startling them both. "You'll have me and Rose and I know I can speak for them here when I say you'll have Peter and Davy, too."

"Mike, you need to be resting," Ginny said.

"I'm fine," Mike said walking over to them. "I passed out because of stress. I don't even feel any pain."

"Really?" Ginny asked as she stood up and poked his stomach. Mike winced and backed away a little.

"Ok, so it hurts, but I don't need to be sitting down," Mike admitted. "I'm fine. And I'm serious. If anything were to happen to Micky, I will still be there for you and so will Rose, Peter and Davy. Family isn't just blood, it's what you make of the people around you. Diana took me in and treated me like I was her own son and your father is a complete ass. So I think that right there proves blood doesn't always mean family. You're part of this weird little family we've made. You'll always have one of us."

"Really?" Ginny asked.

"I doubt you could make Peter and Davy leave you alone if you wanted," Micky laughed. "They know how much I care about you and that will make them want to get to know you and once they do, I know they'll come to love you, too. And Mike already sees you as a little sister or he wouldn't have said what he just said. It's hard for him to bring anyone in."

"Thank you," Ginny smiled. Before they could say anymore, they heard the lock on the door move. Micky tensed, not knowing what else to expect. What happened was the last thing he expected. Two goons came in with Rose in between them.

"Rose!" Mike exclaimed as the goons threw Rose on the ground just inside the door and left. Mike raced over to her and helped her to her feet.

"I'm ok," Rose said as he wrapped his arms around her. "He didn't do anything to me."

"Why?" Ginny asked. "Not that I'm not grateful or anything, but why?"

"It's ok," Rose smiled at her. "I know what you meant. I got lucky. Apparently one of their dens was attacked and Francesco and Robert had to go clean up the mess."

"The Assassins or -" Mike asked.

"Assassins," Rose answered. "It was a generic raid. Meant to upset one of the Templars plans or something. I don't know."

"They're looking for us still," Micky said. "Peter and Davy and Willow and Piper. They're looking for us. They'll find us."

"I know," Rose said. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got shot," Micky answered.

"Funny," Rose said. "Don't ever do anything like that ever again, ok? That was really stupid."

"Oh, and what you did was so brilliant?" Micky asked.

"Ok, smartass," Rose quipped.

"I don't think anyone can ask anyone else not to lay down their lives for each other," Mike said. "Each of us cares for the others in a very big way. But that doesn't mean we should be scrambling to do it."

"You never told me how Mike survived touching that box," Micky said turning back to Ginny. He didn't really want to talk about the possibility of any of them sacrificing themselves for each other, so he changed the subject.

"We don't really know for sure," Ginny said. "But I have an idea."

"Long story short, she thinks I'm a descendant of those first civilization people," Mike said.

"She thinks we all are," Rose added.

"I'm sorry, what?" Micky asked.

"Well, it's just a theory, but the first civilization built those artifacts," Ginny said. "They wielded them. Hundreds of people have tried to use the artifacts throughout human history and only some have been successful. Others that failed went mad. My family suggested that is because only the ones with first civilization DNA could properly use them. They were designed that way."

"So when Mike touched it, it recognized its owner and didn't hurt him?" Micky asked. "But he didn't touch the artifact, he touched the box."

"My ancestor used the same material to build the box," Ginny said. "Magically, of course since no one knows where or what that metal is."

"Ok, but what makes you think the rest of us are, too?" Micky asked.

"Most of the people who have been able to successfully use an artifact have already had enhanced abilities," Ginny answered. "Fast healing, intuition, speed, agility, enhanced senses, that kind of stuff."

"We can all see through thick fog or smoke," Rose added. "And you and I are both fast healers. Always have been."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Micky said. "Mom could do those things, too, but Dad couldn't."

"Wait, so does that mean Robert wouldn't be able to do anything, even if he got his hands on the artifact?" Rose asked.

"No, it could still work, but only in a small capacity," Ginny said. "And in the end, it'll drive him mad."

"He's already mad," Micky mumbled.

"You know what I mean," Ginny said.

"You should go get some rest," Rose said to Mike after a moment. Then she turned to Micky. "You too."

"It's just a surface wound; I'm fine," Mike argued. Rose moved to touch his stomach and he backed away before she could. "Ok, ok! Ginny already poked me. You don't need to touch me. It hurts a little and it's a little more than a surface wound, but I really am fine."

"Rest anyway," Ginny said. "I want to try to do that ancestor thing tomorrow."

"Ancestor thing?" Micky asked confused.

"Yeah, when I touched the box, Ginny thinks it awoke a connection or something in my brain," Mike said. "I'm reliving something from an ancestor or something like that. Seeing something he wanted to show me."

"Huh?" Micky asked.

"Genetic memory," Ginny said. "All animals have it. Tells them how to hunt, how to fly, how to roar, everything. Except most of the time, you don't know details, just that a cheetah running at you is bad if you're a squirrel, so you run. That kind of thing. The artifact allowed him to enhance that connection and now he's seeing something important. I can help guide him through it cause I did it with my ancestors. It's how I know all the information about the artifacts that I do."

"Oh," Micky said still a little confused. He assumed it was the headache forming in the back of his head though, rather than anything else.

"Just lie down and rest," Ginny smiled.

"I am lying down," Micky pointed out.

"You know what I mean," Ginny laughed and leaned over to kiss his forehead. He closed his eyes and soon felt himself drifting back to sleep.


	18. Into the Past

Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. I just didn't feel much of a desire to write. A lot of stuff has been going on in my world, both good and bad. But here's the latest chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 18: Into the Past

"Are you sure you're ready?" Ginny asked Mike a few weeks later.

"Yes," Mike answered. "I've been healed just fine for a few days."

"Yes, but your energy levels need to be high," Ginny said. "This is going to be draining on you. Can you handle that?"

"Yes," Mike said. "Ginny, trust me, I'm ok. Let's do this." They had put off having him try to reconnect with his ancestor again for the past few weeks because of his injury, but he was starting to get a headache and he figured it was because he hadn't tried it yet, which Ginny said would probably happen.

"Ok, then lay down and get comfortable," Ginny said.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Rose asked. She was looking at them with a worried expression. Micky was also looking worried, lying on his bed. Ginny had just changed his dressing and Mike thought he'd saw her cry a little while she did it. Not that he blamed her. Cleaning and redressing his wound was a reminder of what had happened and it made them all upset.

"Rose, I'm going to do this," Mike said lying down and getting as comfortable as he could on the old bed. "You heard Ginny; it'll be worse if I don't."

"Just trust me, Rose," Ginny said before turning back to Mike. "Close your eyes." Mike did as she told him. "Focus only on my voice. No other sound matters. Relax every muscle in your body. Starting from your head to your toes. Relax. Breathe. Now, I want you to picture that setting again. The puritans. The man."

"How can he picture him when he didn't see him, but through him?" Micky asked.

"Ssh!" Ginny snapped. "I need complete silence!"

"Sorry," Micky mumbled.

"You still know what he looks like," Ginny said. And somehow, she was right. Mike knew exactly what he looked like. "How he sounds. You know it all because you are him. Picture yourself as him. Drift to that world. Let this one dissolve away. Let him come to the surface. Let him guide you. Control your mind. He is you. You are him." Her words drifted further and further away as he just let himself relax. Slowly, images formed in his mind. He was drifting back to that place again. Inhabiting someone else's body. Speaking with someone else's mouth. Thinking someone else's thoughts. Living in someone else's world.

"George, you must listen to reason," someone was saying. Mike couldn't get a clear picture yet, but slowly started to focus on the world forming around him. The man was still speaking and Mike could tell the man was speaking to him. "You must come back with me. The Templars are planning something and it's not going to be easy to stop them this time."

"How is this different than any other time?" Mike asked. Or rather, George did. They were in a tavern sitting at a small table in the corner. The man speaking to him had long brown hair tied back in a bow. His brown eyes had a serious demeanor to it. He was pleading; desperate to get George to return with him.

"I don't know, but it feels different," the man answered.

"Do what you do best," George said. "I have a lot of faith in you, John. I know you can handle this. I wouldn't have left you in charge if I didn't think you could manage it. I have to find this prophet and I know he's here. The church is only the latest in a string of events."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, sir, but-" John said.

"No but," George said. "You can't do anything here. Go home. Do what I entrusted you to do." John seemed like he was about to raise another protest when a woman came in frantically crying.

"Please, someone help," she cried. "My son! He fell! Into the river! The current carried him away before I could grab him!"

"Take us," George said getting up from the table. She nodded her gratitude and ran out the door. George, John and several other patrons at the bar ran out and followed her. The river was only a mile from the tavern and it didn't take them long to arrive at the river's edge. George's heart raced as he saw a little boy thrashing about in the water. He seemed to have been caught on something. George stopped for just a moment and realized the boy was caught on a net. This wasn't a normal fishing net; this was a net that stretched across the whole river bed. Set up almost as if to make sure the boy was caught in it no matter what part of the river he floated down. Like someone knew the boy was going to fall before he did.

George waded into the water while John waited along the bank. The current was fast and George himself nearly stumbled and slid down into the water to be carried away. George finally reached the boy who looked up at him with pleading eyes. He was clutching onto the net for dear life. It took a little time for George to disentangle the boy because of the strength of the current, but he finally succeeded. Getting him back to shore was harder, but John was there to help pull the boy up and out of the water.

"Oh thank you, thank you!" the woman said grabbing the sopping wet boy and clutching him tightly to her with relief.

"You alright, George?" John asked as they stood on the river bank.

"Yes," George answered hastily trying to shake off water. "Look around you. What do you notice about the people?"

"Notice?" John asked. "They're all relieved the boy is alive."

"Yes," George said. "They were scared and surprised. Now they are relived. Normal emotions you would expect. Except for that woman." John looked where George was. A woman was standing near a tree as though trying to hide, but George could see a smile on her face. It was relief, but the moment George arrived he'd noticed her. The look on her face said she'd been expecting all of them. And she knew they would run into the water to save him. She wasn't scared for the boy.

"So?" John asked. "You don't think she's the prophet, do you?"

"She's the only one who doesn't seem very surprised about all this," George answered. "Go home, John. Protect the town. I have complete faith in you."

"Are you going to follow her?" John asked.

"Yes," George answered. "Just until we can get somewhere private to talk. Go home, John." George followed the young woman before John could argue any further. He lost her a little ways through the trees, but noticed she seemed to be heading towards the eastern part of the town near the church. So he pushed in the same direction. He was about a half a mile away from the church when he heard her scream, pushing him to run in that direction. When he saw her again, she was fighting off three men.

"Let go of me!" She yelled just before one of the men brought down the hilt of his sword on her head. She slumped to the ground and another of the men caught her. George knew these men were Templars. He was too far away to do much to help her, but he had speed and surprise on his side. He quickly closed the gap between them. He drew his pistol and a throwing knife and sprang into action as soon as he knew he could. The knife left his hand without much effort on his part and landed in the throat of the man who'd hit the woman. He aimed with his pistol at the same second and dropped the second man with a bullet between the eyes. The third dropped the woman to the ground, who was still barely conscious, and whirled on George drawing his own pistol. George drew a small stiletto knife and holstered his empty pistol. The third man was set to fire at him, but George quickly leapt into the air, grabbed a branch and swung across it. The bullet the man fired went right by him. George let go of the branch and flew threw the air with the stiletto drawn. He landed directly on top of the third man, burying the stiletto into his chest. He quickly pulled the weapon out of the dead man and placed it back into it's wet holster before dropping down beside the woman still struggling to remain conscious.

"Assassin," she whispered.

"I won't hurt you," he said. "I need to get you medical attention."

"I know," she smiled. "The church. Take me to Father Daniel."

"You need a doctor," George said lifting her carefully off the ground.

"Please," she said wrapping her arms round his neck. "Daniel will help me." George wanted to plead with her more, but she lost the battle and passed out. So he abided by her wishes and carried her the rest of the way to the church. When he arrived, the church was empty.

"Father Daniel?" he called out, hoping the man was at least nearby. He'd made it halfway to the altar when a man stepped out of a side room.

"May I help you?" the man asked, dressed in a priests robes. The man's eyes landed on the woman in George's arms and fear gripped him.

"Are you Father Daniel?" George asked.

"Yes," he answered hastily. "What happened?"

"She was attacked," George answered. "She needs medical attention, but she asked for you."

"She does not trust many," Father Daniel answered. "Doctors included. Please, bring her here." George followed the man back through the door he'd come through. On the other side was a small room with a bed and a night table. George placed her on the bed and Father Daniel immediately darted through a side door to a bathroom. When he returned, he'd had a wet cloth and knelt by her side. "If you tell me your name, Sir, I will see to it you receive a reward for your help."

"I want no reward, Father," George said as Father Daniel cleaned the woman's head.

"I must do something to repay your kindness," Father Daniel said.

"You care for each other," George said.

"She is family," Father Daniel answered. "If you do not want a reward, at least tell me what you can of the men who did this. I will see to it the men who harmed her will face justice."

"They are dead," George answered. The Father looked at him in shock. "I am sorry; I know you are a peaceful man, but if she is family I hope you will take solace in the fact I had to in order to save her."

"You alone?" the Father asked, then looked at George very carefully. George wasn't sure what to make of this man, but knew most men of the Church would find his weapons unholy. They were peaceful. Most others didn't think twice knowing native attacks were always a lingering threat. But the Father's confusion faded when he saw the weapons. He repeated what the woman had said in the forest. "You are an Assassin."

"She said the same thing," George said. "How do you know that?" George was an Assassin, but most people had no idea that Assassins and Templars even existed, let alone how to recognize one.

"One man taking down multiple attackers," Father Daniel said. "These men have tried to take her before and they are strong. Her father was an Assassin. We know all about the Assassins and the Templars. They are the ones after her."

"Because she is the prophet?" George asked. Father Daniel was silent for a few moments. "She saved dozens of lives. I don't want to exploit her at all. There was a boy in the river who would have drowned just now. But someone put a net in the river to catch him before he was swept away. Someone who knew he was going to fall. She was the only one I saw who did not look terrified."

"What do you want?" Father Daniel asked almost tersely. "You say you don't want a reward or to exploit her. Yet you clearly sought her out. Why?"

"I only offer my protection," George explained. "I know the Templars want to exploit her gift and if they can't get her to help them willingly, they will force her. I want to protect her from that."

"For the rest of your lives?" Father Daniel asked.

"For as long as it takes," George answered.

"Why?" Father Daniel asked. "She is just another soul in a sea of God's creatures. Why would you risk so much to save her alone."

"Every soul is special," George said. "And if the Templars do somehow force her to help them, it would be devastating for more than just one soul. She has saved dozens of lives already. Who knows how that will change if the Templars get to her. They will use her as a weapon. The men who attacked her today are just a small fraction of the force they have. There will be more sent after her."

"The decision will be up to her," Father Daniel said. "She has a small head wound. With rest, she will be ok. Please, let's continue this outside."

"You said she was family," George said once they'd walked into the main area of the church. "But then you said her father was an Assassin. Obviously she is not your sister then."

"She is my sister-in-law," Father Daniel answered. "Samantha. She married my brother. Unfortunately he was murdered a year ago."

"Murdered?" George asked.

"By Templars in an unrelated incident," Father Daniel answered. "She's been living with me ever since. She has no other family. They have also passed. Either through Native attacks or Templar means."

"I understand," George said. "Please, tell her what I have offered when she wakes up. I hope I can come by in the morning?"

"Of course," Father Daniel said. "She needs her rest."

Slowly the scene around Mike started to fade. He was starting to hear Micky, Rose and Ginny talking quietly. He could barely make out what they were saying, but he could tell they were wondering how much longer he'd be out and if he was hurt in any way by doing this. He actually felt better. The headache he'd had was gone, but he still wondered why he was seeing what he was seeing. It was clear the visions were centered around this prophet, but what did it all mean to him? He sat up and smiled at his friends who looked relieved. He assured them he only felt as though he'd taken a very refreshing nap and told them what he'd seen.

"I'm sure you'll get more answers as you see more," Ginny said.

"He's gotta do that more?" Rose asked.

"Yes, if he goes too far in, he won't come back out," Ginny said.

"How do we know if he's going too far in?" Micky asked looking worried.

"It's kind of hard to tell, really," Ginny said. "I've never seen it happen. It hasn't happened in a long time."

"But it can happen?" Rose asked. "And you didn't think to warn us about that?"

"It's only happened when people forced too much at once," Ginny said. "Going in every day for longer than 5 hours. I would have pulled him out if he'd been gone much farther."

"How long was I out?" Mike asked. It didn't feel like very long to him.

"Almost four hours," Rose answered. "I was getting worried."

"I'm fine, Rose," Mike assured her again. "And Ginny said that's only happened to people who've done too much. I'm not gonna do that. Don't worry."

"It's my job to worry about you because you don't," Rose said. Mike smiled at her. She'd always told him she wished he'd worry about himself more than others, but it wasn't really in his nature. He always put others needs ahead of his own and he wouldn't stop now.

"I do enough to take care of myself," Mike said. They sat for another half hour just pondering the implications of what Mike's vision might mean when Ginny suddenly grabbed her stomach and mouth and dashed for the bathroom. Micky pushed himself up, but Rose glared at him.

"You get out of that bed and I'll shoot you again," Rose snapped.

"I'll take care of her, don't worry," Mike said following Ginny. He shut the door behind him and knelt next to Ginny who was throwing up in the toilet. He gently rubbed her back to ease her mind a little. When she finally finished and leaned back against the wall and Mike handed her a tissue.

"Thanks," she said hoarsely. Mike got up and grabbed a small glass of water and handed it to her.

"You ok?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, just stress," Ginny said. "And the drugs in the air. I'll be ok. I just wanna rest here for a minute." Mike nodded and sat next to her, just in case she started throwing up again. But after a few minutes, she'd fallen asleep against his shoulder. Rose knocked softly on the door and came in.

"She ok?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, tell Micky she's just passed out and I don't really wanna move her yet," Mike said as Rose shut the door.

"Neither do I," Rose said. "I wanna look at her while she's asleep."

"Look at her?" Mike asked.

"Yeah," Rose said kneeling down next to them. "You notice she's been throwing up a lot lately or just looking sick."

"Sure, I guess," Mike said. He hadn't really given it much thought. "She's stressed and there's a lot of stuff in the air to make anyone sick."

"She wasn't sick before," Rose said. "I think...I think she might be pregnant."


	19. Beginnings

Author's Note: Ok, sorry for the delay...I've had a rough couple of weeks. Emotionally and physically. But I'm back. Please review. I think I lost a few of you along the way. Sorry if the story got too dark.

Chapter 19: Beginnings

"Pregnant?" Mike asked stunned. "You think she's pregnant? Why?"

"She's been sick for a while now," Rose answered. "Weeks now."

"You said that already," Mike said. "That could be stress."

"It could be, but I don't think it is," Rose answered. "Robert was kind enough to leave feminine products for us and I noticed I'm the only one who used them and we've been here two months. Meaning she's late…"

"That could be stress, too," Mike said. "I don't know much about any of that, but I know stress can mess with that."

"Yes, it could," Rose said, "but have you noticed how her gait has changed?"

"No," Mike answered honestly. "Why would I notice that? How have you noticed that?"

"It's subtle, but I noticed it," Rose said. "It's helpful to pay attention to someone's gait in a fight."

"Yeah, but this isn't a fight," Mike said.

"Habit," Rose said. "Point is, her stance is wider. Her hips are wider. And her breasts look a little more firm."

"Ok, that I really didn't notice," Mike said.

"I see it better now," Rose said.

"You really think she's pregnant?" Mike asked.

"It looks like it," Rose answered.

"Oh God," Mike said. "This is bad. If only I'd tried a little harder…"

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"Robert," Mike answered. "When we first got here...her punishment...he…"

"I know what he did to her," Rose said solemnly. "But that doesn't mean it's his."

"Who else could it be?" Mike asked.

"Before Robert took us," Rose said. "Micky and Ginny...reconnected. Remember?"

"I forgot about that," Mike said feeling a slight sense of relief. "But even if it's Micky's, that's still bad. There's no telling what Robert will do to them."

"I know," Rose said.

"Should we tell them what we think?" Mike asked after a moment, looking down at Ginny's face. It looked a little fuller now that he was paying attention.

"Not yet," Rose said. "I don't know for sure and I don't want to stress them out if I'm wrong about this. We should just wait for now."

"You're right," Mike agreed. "We should get her to bed at least. She seems exhausted."

"I'll help you," Rose said. Together they carried Ginny out to one of the beds and laid her down near Micky. They explained she was just a little sick and that she'd be ok. Mike's mind raced as he pulled sheets over her and tucked her in. If she was pregnant, how could they be sure whose it was? What would she do when she found out? What would Micky do? What would Robert do?

* * *

Peter was in the kitchen making a sandwich, though not for himself. He, Davy, and Willow had sat only a few minutes ago at the table eating lunch, but Piper was in her room and hadn't come out. So Peter decided to bring her something to eat. Davy by now had become quite adept at fighting with his sword and Peter was very happy for that. He didn't want any harm to come to anyone, but he was really starting to believe these people deserved it. Piper and Willow told him, reluctantly, of course, about the other things the Templars did. He put the sandwich on the plate and walked over to Piper's door. He knocked a few times, but she didn't answer. He thought for a moment that he shouldn't, but he opened the door and called out to her. He didn't see her right away, but then he saw her sitting on the edge of her bed, crying.

"Piper?" Peter asked quietly.

"Oh, Peter," Piper said looking up at him. "Come in."

"Are you ok?" Peter asked closing the door behind him.

"Yeah," Piper said rather unconvincingly.

"I brought you lunch," Peter said putting the plate with the sandwich on it on the nightstand. "I wasn't sure if you were hungry."

"Not really," Piper said, wiping tears away from her cheek.

"Please talk to me," Peter said. "It's ok."

"I just…" Piper started then trailed off. Peter sat down on the bed next to her to try and encourage her a little. She smiled at him and sighed. "I feel terrible. I wasn't there for either of them."

"Didn't you already have this conversation with me?" Peter asked trying to sound reassuring. "Telling me that even if I'd been here, I wouldn't have been able to do anything."

"No," Piper said. "I mean, yes, you're right, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about for the last 5 years. The last thing I said to Rose...I called her a "bitch". I hated her for turning her back on Micky and I thought she believed him a murderer. But I stayed behind, too. I did the same thing she did."

"I get that it bothers you, but I don't really think they care," Peter said.

"I care," Piper said.

"I don't know if you should," Peter said. "People do stupid things. Especially when they're young. That was five years ago."

"I should have been more supportive of Micky," Piper said. "And I shouldn't have said the things I said to Rose."

"Look, the fact that it bothers you shows how good of a person you are," Peter said. "But they wouldn't have come here if they didn't trust you. Micky just found out the truth about his father; the number of people he trusted severely plummeted that day. But he trusted you enough to bring us all here. To keep us all safe. And you made the right decision by staying with the Assassins. Micky had Mike and me and Davy. How many people have you saved by staying with them?"

"I don't know, maybe a hundred or more," Piper said.

"Wow," Peter breathed; he figured it was a lot, but didn't figure it was that much. "That's a lot of lives that would probably be dead now if you'd left with Micky. And I know that if given the choice, Micky wouldn't have wanted you to leave. Same thing goes for Rose. And I know she understands why you said what you said. She was in a really bad position and I'm sure she got a lot of grief from a lot of people."

"She didn't need it from family on top of everything else," Piper mumbled.

"I don't think she cares," Peter repeated. "She didn't seem to have any issues with you the entire time we were here."

"We acted like none of us did anything to each other," Piper said. "Like none of it ever happened."

"Maybe cause in their minds, none of it did," Peter offered. "I mean, it did, but it didn't matter. Rose knew you didn't mean it. They left you and Willow alone with me and Davy. They didn't know Willow, but you trusted Willow and they trusted you. They wouldn't have left us alone with either of you if they didn't."

"I get that," Piper said. "But…"

"When we find them, you can apologize to them," Peter said when she trailed off. "I don't think they're gonna care, but if it'll make you feel better, when we find them, you'll talk to them. I know everything will be ok." She finally turned and looked at him. And smiled. Peter offered a smile back, encouraging her a little. He wasn't sure why suddenly he thought everything was going to be ok, but he felt like he at least had to say it. If nothing more than to try and convince himself. He didn't expect Piper to lean over and kiss him. He relished in it for a few moments, not thinking very clearly. He found himself very attracted to her, of that he was sure, but he couldn't right now. He couldn't kiss her. He pushed her away slightly with a soft apology.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean-"

"No, no," Peter said. "It's not...I like you, I really do and I liked the kiss and all, but…"

"But what?" She asked.

"I don't want you to kiss me because you're grieving," Peter said. "I want you to want to kiss me."

"But I do want to kiss you," Piper said. "I have wanted to kiss you. You remind me of everything I want to be and can't."

"How so?" Peter asked.

"I want to be a peaceful person, Peter," Piper said. "I don't want to spend my nights training in some basement. I want to have a normal life with a family and friends. I want to not have to worry about who I have to kill next or who's going to die if I don't kill someone. I want to be normal. And I can't. But you can help me feel at least a little normal. You remind me that there can be peace sometimes."

"I do?" Peter blushed a little. "So you wanted to kiss me? Not just out of grief?"

"Maybe a little of both," Piper said. "I've thought about it for a while. And yes, I'm upset and that may be what's making me finally do it, but it's not the only reason. I do like you."

"Oh," Peter said blushing more. Piper smiled again and kissed him. This time he didn't fight her. He kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tight. He hadn't kissed many girls, but he'd gotten better over the years. Especially with his friends teaching him what they knew after the fiasco with Valerie Cartwright. And this felt natural to him. Like he didn't need to know what to do. Piper seemed to take the lead anyway. As much as he didn't want to go any further at this moment, but he couldn't help the pull he felt in his loins. She leaned over him and pushed him down onto the bed and pressed her body into his. He felt her breasts push into his chest and felt his desire heighten. She moaned slightly as his hands stroked her hair softly. He wasn't sure if Piper was wanting this to go any further, but he knew he didn't so he pulled his hips away from her slightly. He didn't want her to feel his desire. It didn't matter anyway cause they both stopped when they heard Davy outside the room.

"Piper! Peter!" he called sounding very desperate. "Come out here and help me!" Piper jumped off Peter and he ran after her. He was afraid they were being attacked. When they got out into the living room, they saw Willow and Davy standing by the front door.

"What's going on?" Piper asked sounding a little annoyed.

"Willow's leaving," Davy answered.

"Leaving?" Peter asked confused. They were told to stay together.

"Where are you going?" Piper asked.

"Looking for my father," Willow answered exasperated.

"I'm sure he's fine," Davy said.

"Why?" Peter asked.

"He was supposed to call me this morning," Willow said.

"Maybe he got hung up," Peter said. "We shouldn't be leaving right now."

"No," Willow said. "Ever since I was a little girl I was so worried about whether or not he'd come home, so he set a system in place. He'd give me a time and day he'd call and he'd always find a way to contact me and let me know he's ok. Always. He has never been late until today. He was supposed to call me this morning."

"I agree with Peter," Davy said. "He probably got hung up. Can't get to a phone or something."

"No, I feel like something's wrong," Willow said. "I can't explain it, but something's wrong. He ALWAYS calls."

"How would you even know where to start looking for him?" Peter asked.

"He told me a few days ago he was following a lead in Arizona," Willow said. "He said there were reports of unauthorized digging. Probably Robert trying to find the artifact."

"Why didn't you tell us that?" Piper asked.

"We didn't want to get your hopes up," Willow said.

"Did he tell you exactly where he was going?" Piper asked.

"Yes," Willow answered. "That's where I'm going. I need to find him."

"You can't go alone," Piper said. "It's too dangerous."

"I've made up my mind, Piper," Willow said. "I'm going to find my father."

"But you're not doing it alone," Piper said. "We're going with you."

"We are?" Davy asked.

"We can't let her go alone," Piper said. "And we need to stick together. All four of us. We'll go and check this place out, but that's as far as it goes. We aren't going on a wild goose chase. If there's no sign of him, we come back."

"What if he calls while we're gone?" Peter asked.

"He'd know I'd go looking for him if he were late," Willow said. "He'll stay and wait for me."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Davy asked.

"She has a point," Piper said. "A lot of parents worked out systems with their kids. My mom would call me every Friday if she went out. Missing a drop like that is bad. The only reason he wouldn't contact her is if he were in trouble."

"Let's hope it's not too much, then," Peter said.


	20. Lost and Found

Author's Note: So since I stopped getting any reviews, I haven't felt very driven to write this, but I know Di still looks forward to this, so at least I'll keep writing for her, but then I might stop again.

Chapter 20: Lost and Found

Peter sat in the backseat of a car Piper and Willow had used before Micky and the others disappeared. William had told them not to use it unless they had to, and since they were headed to Arizona, they needed transport. None of them really said much the entire trip. They were all too worried about William. Piper drove them through the desert across the border into Arizona with Willow giving directions off a map. Her father had told her where he was going and she'd circled it on the map. It took nearly 6 hours, but they finally pulled off the main road. Another half an hour later, Willow instructed them to turn onto a dirt side road. They went a short distance up a hill and stopped when they noticed flashing lights at the bottom. There were at least half a dozen police cars parked at the bottom of the hill. Peter's heart sank.

"Oh God," Willow breathed.

"We have no idea what this is," Piper said opening the door and unbuckling. "It could be completely unrelated." The four of them got out of the vehicle and walked partway down the hill for a closer look. Along with the cop cars, there was a coroner's van and a crime scene unit. Peter's heart sank further.

"Oh God," Willow repeated.

"Just wait here," Piper said moving a little further down and ducking behind a rock outcrop. Peter wanted to go with her, but decided to listen to her. He watched as she sat behind the outcrop for a few minutes looking at the scene playing out in front of them. They were far enough away that if Peter, Davy and Willow stood still they wouldn't be seen by the officers below. Most of them were surrounding a hole in the ground, but Peter couldn't see what was in it. Finally, Piper moved away from the rock outcrop carefully and slowly, slipping through the shadows. She made her way to the coroner's van without being seen; everyone was too preoccupied with the hole in the ground. When she reached the back of the van, she leaned inside it. Peter couldn't tell what she was doing, but she quickly turned around and made her way back up to them.

"Let's go," she said when she got to them.

"What's going on?" Willow asked.

"They found a body buried in the dirt," Piper answered. "They're working to remove it and take it back to the morgue."

"A body?" Willow asked. "Did you see-"

"No," Piper answered before Willow could even get out the question. "I didn't see anything, but you and I both know the Templars don't bury Assassin's. They leave them out in the open for other Assassin's to find as a message. The chances of this being your dad are slim."

"So are we going to come back when the cops are gone and look for William?" Davy asked.

"No," Piper said. "He wouldn't be here with it crawling with cops like this. I happen to know the coroner though. We went to med school together. He's one of us. I left him a note to meet us at the motel we passed on the way in. We should get some rest tonight anyway."

"But-" Willow protested.

"There's nothing we can do here," Piper said. "He's not here and the chances of it being him in that hole are slim to none. Robert would leave him for us to find to send a message. Even if by some chance it is him, we can't get close enough without exposing ourselves and that puts us right in the line of fire. My friend can tell us exactly what happened when we meet with him."

"She's right," Davy said laying a hand on Willow's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Peter didn't know if it worked or not, but Willow did finally agree with Piper.

"Fine," Willow said and walked off toward the car.

"How will he know what room to meet us in?" Peter asked as the rest of them walked back toward the car, still careful not to be seen by the police in the distance.

"When I check us in, I'm gonna leave a spare key at the front desk for him," Piper answered. "I'll be the only one going into the office so they will think I'm alone in the room and meeting him. I can use a fake ID leaving no paper trail behind." Silence once again filled the car on the way back towards the town they'd driven through to get here. Piper pulled into a motel off the road and parked in the shadows. She told them to wait while she went inside. Moments later she re-emerged and walked towards a hotel room. Willow, Peter and Davy followed her, taking care not to be seen by the manager. Once inside the hotel room, they took turns taking showers. They didn't have any neighbors so they didn't have to worry about the noise of the water attracting attention to four people instead of one being in the room. Piper ran to a nearby store and picked up food for each of them to eat when they'd changed. Three hours after they arrived at the motel, a knock sounded on the door. Peter stiffened thinking maybe they'd been found out, but then a keycard was inserted in the door. Peter figured this must have been the coroner Piper mentioned, but wasn't too sure. When a tall black man walked in, Piper walked over and hugged him.

"Daryl," Piper said. "I've missed you."

"You too," Daryl answered.

"You made coroner?" Piper asked.

"Sorta," Daryl answered. "My internship. You?"

"I put it off for a bit," Piper said. "I've been on a mission."

"Is that why you were in the desert today?" Daryl asked.

"Not really," Piper said. "Sort of. Well, a different mission. Plans kinda changed last minute. I am in trouble and I need your help. What can you tell us about that body you found?"

"Bodies," Daryl corrected. "There were three of them."

"Three?" Willow asked.

"What do you need to know?" Daryl asked.

"Her father is missing and he was supposed to be there the other day," Piper said.

"Then none of the bodies belong to him," Daryl said. "Judging by the rate of decomposition, they have been buried at least 2 months."

"Thank God," Willow breathed heavily sitting down on the bed as if a large weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Then where is he?" Davy asked. "We didn't see any sign of him."

"Who's your father?" Daryl asked.

"His name is William Beckett," Willow said. "He's one of us. He came out here looking for some friends of ours."

"What if he found those bodies?" Davy said.

"It's possible," Daryl said. "The call was made anonymously. These bodies were buried. They only do that if they don't want anyone to know something; if they have something to hide."

"Exactly," Piper said. "So if he found those bodies, maybe Robert sent someone after him."

"Meaning we need to find William fast," Peter said.

"I still think he'd have said something to me," Willow said suddenly getting all the weight back she'd just shed.

"Have any Assassin's turned up dead in the last few days?" Piper asked.

"Not Assassin's," Daryl said. "But there have been a couple unidentified bodies."

"Unidentified?" Willow asked.

"We get several of them out here and in the city," Daryl said. "Hikers who get lost or homeless, drug addicts, you name it. Some get identified in a matter of days, some never do."

"And you have some right now?" Piper asked.

"A couple," Daryl answered.

"Wait, do we really think William is dead?" Davy asked.

"We don't know what we think," Piper answered. "But we have to check. We have to be sure."

"So what, we just take a trip down to the morgue and look at the dead bodies?" Davy asked.

"Do you have a picture of your father?" Daryl asked Willow.

"No," Willow said. "I-I didn't bring any. I didn't expect to have to go into hiding."

"Hiding?" Daryl asked.

"We were protecting our friends and were forced to go into hiding for a while," Piper explained. "Only that didn't work. He found them anyway. Now we have to find them. That's what William was trying to do."

"We haven't really had any activity in the area," Daryl said. "Not from them. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Piper asked.

"Well a couple months ago we got reports that there was some illegal digging taking place right where we found the bodies," Daryl said. "But I don't know why they'd bury someone there. Officer investigated the reports, but found nothing."

"I don't think they were digging there to bury something," Piper said. "They were searching for something buried out here. We know they found it."

"Ginny said that anyone who touches it dies," Peter said. "Maybe those three bodies were people who found it and touched it."

"Probably," Piper agreed.

"Huh?" Daryl asked.

"It's not important," Piper said. "Can I come see the bodies?"

"I can arrange that," Daryl said. "There's actually one in particular that might match him. Doesn't look like the normal John Doe's we get. And his prints didn't pop anything. He's about the right age, too."

"Ok, you guys stay here," Piper said solemnly.

"I'm going," Willow said.

"Willow, I-" Piper started but Willow cut her off.

"He's my father," Willow said. "I can handle this. We've been prepared to accept loss our entire lives. He deserves to have me be the one to identify him."

"Are you sure?" Piper asked with concern.

"Yes," Willow answered.

"We shouldn't split up," Piper said then turned to Daryl. "We'll follow you."

"Ok," Daryl said before turning. He glanced quickly at Willow with a small look of pity before walking outside. Piper and the others followed. The four of them got into their car and Daryl walked to his. They followed him about 20 miles into the heart of the city of Phoenix. By now everything was dark, but the city lights were bright. Peter wasn't really sure he wanted to go to the city morgue, but he knew they had to do this and they couldn't split up. When they pulled into a parking spot next to Daryl, Peter wasn't even sure he wanted to leave. He looked at Piper and Willow, however, and saw the pain on their faces. He knew they were each trying to stay strong, but they couldn't hide the fleeting moments of weakness. He wished they didn't think they had to be strong around them, but didn't really know what to say. Instead, he mustered up the courage to stick with them. He'd see this through in the hopes that he could somehow give them the strength they thought they needed. The four of them followed Daryl inside and stopped in the lobby.

"I can get you guys in to see the body, but we have to be quick," Daryl said. "No one's here this late except night staff, but I know how to work around them."

"Right," Piper said then looked at Peter and Davy. "You guys wait here."

"No, I'm going with," Davy said gripping Willow's hand in his supportively.

"Me too," Peter said. "We're in this together."

"Have you two ever even seen a dead body?" Piper asked.

"No, but we'll be ok," Peter said. "We want to support you two."

"They haven't seen a dead body?" Daryl asked.

"They aren't Assassin's," Piper explained. "They're best friends of my cousin. He's one of the friends of ours who were taken. They've been kinda thrown into this against their will. But they've chosen so far to see this through. To save their friends. They're trustworthy."

"Fair enough," Daryl said.

"How bad is the body?" Piper asked.

"It's in pretty good condition," Daryl answered. "I think they should be ok."

"Are you sure?" Piper asked Peter and Davy again.

"Yes," Davy answered. Daryl nodded and led the four of them to a back room. It was cold and two of the walls were lined with dozens of little steel doors. Daryl walked over to one and gripped the handle before looking at each of them.

"Last chance to back out," Daryl said. "You two don't have to be in here for this."

"I think I actually need to," Peter said. "I know you've told me stories about the things they've done and I'm not saying I don't believe you, but I haven't seen it for myself. I know they took Micky and the others and that's bad enough for me to want them to pay for it, but I think I need to see this."

"Open it," Davy said firmly.

"Are you ready?" Daryl asked Willow.

"Open it," Willow echoed. Davy still had a good grip on Willow's hand, offering his support. Daryl hesitated a moment and nodded before pulling open the little door. He reached inside and pulled out the drawer a little way. On a steel slab was a body with a sheet draped over it. Daryl carefully pulled the sheet back just far enough to reveal the man's face. Peter's heart sank and Willow gasped. It was her father. Before anyone could say anything, Willow turned and ran out of the room. Davy took off after her.

"I guess that means this is him?" Daryl said solemnly.

"Yes," Piper said. She looked sad, but was trying to keep her composure.

"How did he die?" Peter said staring down at the body. He looked like he was sleeping. Paler than usual but just sleeping.

"He was shot in the chest," Daryl answered. "Clean shot, through and through. It was fast. Right through the heart."

"Business," Piper said. "Didn't waste any time. So he must have found something they didn't want him to."

"Like those bodies?" Peter asked.

"Maybe," Piper said. "Where did you find his body?"

"In a motel in town," Daryl answered. "A maid went in to clean the room and found his body."

"Do you have his personal effects?" Piper asked.

"We have what was on his body, but the police would have gathered other items from his hotel," Daryl answered.

"Can I see what you have?" Piper asked.

"You can see it, but it's part of evidence in a homicide so I can't let you take it," Daryl said.

"That's fine," Piper said. "I'm just looking for a lead as to what he may have found that they didn't want anyone else to know about."

"I'll check the police file and see what else was taken into evidence," Daryl said walking over to a small filing cabinet and opening the drawer. "In the meantime, this is what was on his person."

"Thank you," Piper said taking a plastic bag from Daryl that he'd pulled out of the drawer. Peter stared at the body on the slab. He couldn't understand how he'd just spoken to this man a few weeks ago and now he was dead. No one would ever speak to him again.

"Should we go after Willow?" Peter asked when Daryl left the room.

"She needs to be alone," Piper said dumping the contents of the bag onto an examining table. "She'll be ok. Davy's with her, too. We need to focus on the task. It's possible he found a lead on where Micky is and if he did, we have to find it too. I'm not about to let him have died in vain."

"Right," Peter said. Piper sifted through the items on the table: William's wallet, some money, a wedding band, a few business cards and a slip of paper. Peter picked up the paper and looked at it while Piper looked through the business cards. There was a phone number written on it that Peter didn't recognize.

"What is it?" Piper asked.

"A phone number," Peter answered.

"Copy it down; we can call it later," Piper said. Peter grabbed a piece of paper off a nearby desk and copied the phone number.

"Anything in those cards?" Peter asked.

"Nothing jumping out, but we can make a list of them and investigate each one," Piper answered reaching out for the pen and paper Peter had just used. She wrote down several things on the paper and finished just as Daryl walked back in.

"They didn't really find anything other than a gun and a few knives," Daryl said. "They think maybe it was a turf war thing. Knowing the Templars, it'll probably stay that way. Unsolved gang hit or something. They won't put too much effort into solving it."

"So can we take that?" Peter asked pointing to the wedding ring on the table. "I know you said we can't take anything, but I think Willow deserves to have it."

"Things get lost in evidence all the time, right?" Piper asked.

"Not all the time," Daryl said.

"They do when Templars are involved," Piper said.

"True," Daryl said. "Fine. Take it. If it'll help her deal with this, then take it. I can't be tied to it. I won't get in trouble for it. A wedding ring isn't that important to solving a homicide anyway."

"Thanks, Daryl," Piper said.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Daryl asked.

"Do you know any of these people?" Piper asked handing him the business cards. "Any Templars or fellow Assassin's?"

"No," Daryl answered after flipping through them for a moment. "But I can check around. You gonna be at the hotel for awhile yet?"

"I think so," Piper answered.

"I'll check in when I can," Daryl said. "In the meantime, you should get some sleep."

"Thanks again," Piper said giving Daryl a hug.


	21. Bad to Worse

Author's Note: So it's been a long time since my last post. Mostly because I've lost the spark. I think my writing has gone downhill a lot. It's not as good as it used to be.

Chapter 21: Bad to Worse

Mike leaned against the old pillow on the bed he'd been using and watched Rose sleeping with her head resting gently on his lap. She'd finally fallen asleep a few hours ago, to which he was grateful. None of them were really getting any sleep. Ginny was still asleep on the next bed with Micky, who'd been asleep for only about an hour. Mike was gently brushing hair out of Rose's face when she stirred. She groaned and her body tensed up. She was having another nightmare.

"Rose, it's ok," Mike whispered softly, but loud enough to pull her out of her sleep. She woke up with a strangled sort of scream and pushed Mike's hands away from her.

"Get off me!" she cried. In a second she realized who he was and allowed her body to relax. "I'm sorry, did I hit you very hard?"

"Not at all," Mike said pulling her close to him. Micky and Ginny had woken up, but only looked at them with sadness. They all knew exactly what her nightmare had been about. Ginny had been having them, too.

"I'm sorry," Rose said again.

"Don't be," Mike said. "It's ok. You didn't do anything wrong." The four of them sat there for a little while longer before they heard footsteps coming towards the large metal door that kept them trapped. All four of them tensed up again, dreading what would happen when the door opened. Mike pulled Rose even closer to him and Micky did the same with Ginny as Robert walked in with Darla.

"Nice to see you're feeling better," Robert sneered at Micky.

"Who are you kidding?" Rose laughed angrily. "You don't give a shit."

"Actually, I do," Robert smiled, sending a chill up Mike's spine. "It means I can move forward."

"Move forward?" Ginny asked gripping Micky's arm tightly as if that would somehow protect them both.

"You two, up against the wall," Robert said to Mike and Rose, ignoring Ginny. Rose was about to protest, but Micky sat up straight and looked at them confidently.

"I'll be fine," Micky said. Mike knew Micky was just urging them to do what Robert asked. Mike knew if they didn't, it would only be worse in the end. So he squeezed Rose's arm and the pair moved to the wall next to the bed. Darla came over immediately and tied their hands firmly behind their backs. At the same time, Robert directed Micky to sit in a chair he'd brought in from the hallway and tied him to it. Ginny was left to stand and watch, unable to do anything. When she was done with Mike and Rose, Darla went over to grab Ginny and hold her back in case she started fighting. That's when Robert felt satisfied they were all sufficiently restrained.

"Now," Robert began standing tall and looking at the four of them. "I think you owe me an explanation."

"For what exactly?" Micky asked.

"How it is that Mike survived," Robert said glaring at Mike. "You can't tell me you haven't spent all this time down here without figuring it out."

"What makes you think we know any more than you do?" Ginny asked.

"Because you know all about that magic little box, sweetheart," Robert sneered.

"Don't you dare call her that," Micky said.

"Or what?" Robert laughed. "In case you hadn't notice, son, I'm in control here."

"We'll see how long that lasts," Micky snapped.

"Cute," Robert smirked. "I think you all know a lot more than you're letting on. The box is made from the same material as the artifact. And since the Gods made the artifacts, it stands the reason the Gods could touch it without it harming them. Am I getting close?" No one said anything so Robert just kept talking. "Now I know that Micky here is a descendant of one of those Gods. I know that because my father was researching your family for generations." Robert turned to Micky and knelt down in front of him.

"That's why you went after Mom?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Robert answered. "My father and I thought she'd be able to lead us to the artifacts. Turns out we were wrong. She didn't even believe in them, let alone know where they were. But I adjusted. I realized if I could take over the Assassins, I could find who DID know where they were. And, after all, I'd already seduced her and had you."

"Don't talk about her," Micky sneered.

"Calm your temper, Micky," Robert said. "Now, I watched you grow up knowing what you were; and your sister, too. I pushed you in your training because I knew you could do better than everyone else. You were stronger, faster, quicker. You were supposed to be. But it always bothered me that each time you were tested, you were on par with Mike. You were supposed to be better than him; by far. But you weren't." Robert shot Mike a scathing glance and paused. "But now...now I'm wondering if you weren't supposed to be better than him. Perhaps Mike is the same as you. Perhaps Mike is part God, too. That way, he could touch the box without it harming him. After all, why would it harm it's master?"

"You're insane, you know that?" Micky said.

"I don't think so," Robert quipped. "I think all four of you are descendents of Gods. Which means all four of you can touch the box. Which means all four of you can open it for me. I don't need to rely on Ginny anymore."

"You are insane if you think any of us would do that," Mike said.

"You'd be surprised what someone can do when pushed to their breaking point," Robert smiled.

"Then you must think us stupid," Mike said. "We aren't. We know what happens when you open that box. We all die anyway. Including everyone else in the world. We aren't going to help you with that."

"Everyone else…" Robert said with a smirk that worried Mike. "You mean like your friends? I wouldn't worry about them."

"Why?" Micky asked. "What did you do?"

"I've already taken care of one of them," Robert laughed; Mike stopped breathing. "The others won't be too hard to kill without William to guard them anymore." Mike felt terrible for feeling a sense of relief was over him. He was devastated to think that William was now dead, but he was at least relieved it wasn't Peter or Davy. If anything happened to either of them, he'd never be able to live with that.

"If you hurt them, I will kill you," Micky said.

"So many threats, boy," Robert said. "You really think you'll be able to harm me? I had fun with your little whore for five years without you even knowing about it."

"Try me," Micky said. "I will slit your throat."

"You're so much like me, it's funny," Robert laughed. "In the end, you'll fail your friends. I know you will. You'll put your own well being before theirs. You'll betray them."

"You're so full of shit, Robert," Rose said. "Micky would never betray us."

"I'm nothing like you," Micky said through gritted teeth.

"Oh really?" Robert smiled at Micky, ignoring everyone else. Robert took something out of a pocket that Mike couldn't really see and moved very close to Micky. "You're my son, after all."

"He's Diana's son," Mike said.

"You share my blood," Robert said pushing his fist into the wound on Micky's shoulder. Micky cried out in pain as blood flowed from his wound. "My blood runs through these veins, Micky."

"Stop it!" Ginny cried. "Leave him alone!"

"I'm nothing like you," Micky repeated.

"Aren't you?" Robert sneered. "You're so full of rage and hate. That's not a very Assassin-like quality. They kill out of need, not vengeance. They aren't brutal. Slitting someone's throat seems pretty brutal to me, don't you think?"

"I'm not an Assassin anymore, am I," Micky retorted. "You made sure of that."

"I had to get you out of my way," Robert answered. He dragged his hand across Micky's chest and Mike now understood what he'd taken out of his pocket was a knife; Micky's chest opened as Robert dragged the blade across. "Once you told me who Ginny's father was, I knew she would be able to find me that box. I needed her. And you, my son, gave me exactly what I'd wanted for years on a silver platter. Like the good little boy you are."

"Shut up!" Ginny said struggling against Darla's grip now. "Micky, don't listen to him!"

"Why do you think you like him so much?" Robert asked, turning to Ginny with a sadistic smile. "All you've ever known is pain and suffering. From me and your father. We cling to what we know. That's why you chose him. You knew he would bring you more pain and suffering in the end."

"That's not true," Ginny said in a low, dangerous tone Mike hadn't heard her take before. "I chose him to escape the pain and suffering. I knew he would love me like no one else ever had. And I knew my mother loved me. I had that. So I did know love. I fell for Micky because I knew he could ease my pain; I knew he'd love me."

"Right," Robert said clearly not believing her.

"Micky would never have willingly allowed any harm to come to her," Rose agreed. "If he'd known what you were doing, he would have done everything to save her. He would die for her."

"And what about you?" Robert said. "He didn't do anything for you, either."

"He didn't know," Rose said firmly.

"How could he not know?" Robert said looking back at Micky. Micky looked almost defeated. His face was weak and pale. Mike was beginning to get scared, thinking Micky was believing this crap. Robert cut Micky again and Micky again cried out in pain. "Your room was right down the hall from hers. Everyone else knew her behavior had changed; they knew something was wrong with her. You turned a blind eye."

"No, he didn't," Mike said. "Micky, don't listen to him. You did know something was wrong with her, just not what. You tried to find out, but she swore to you she was fine."

"You had to have known, Micky," Robert said. "Her room was down the hall. How could you not have seen or heard anything? You just didn't care."

"You gave him sleeping pills so he wouldn't see anything!" Rose said struggling against her bonds. Micky was breathing heavily now and something nagged at Mike. He looked ill. Not like he was in pain, emotionally or physically. He looked sick. Robert dragged the blade across Micky's chest again and began whispering in Micky's ear so the others couldn't hear.

"Stop it!" Ginny said again, fighting against Darla even harder now. "Leave him alone! Micky, don't listen to him!"

"Something's wrong with him," Rose said softly, also realizing that Micky looked sick.

"What did you do to him?" Mike asked, but Robert ignored them all and continued to whisper in Micky's ear.

"You son of a bitch!" Ginny yelled and actually broke free of Darla. She dashed toward Robert who reached out and hit her across the face so hard she collapsed on the ground in front of Micky.

"Stupid girl," Robert said.

"I know what you're doing," Ginny said as she pulled herself back up. "You're trying to mess with his head. It won't work."

"Won't it?" Robert laughed. "Micky's a strong minded young man, yes, but even the strongest minds can be weakened. With a little help, of course." Robert turned the blade over in his hand and it glinted in the light, flashing bright red with Micky's blood.

"What did you do?" Ginny asked.

"An old trick," Robert said. "Tip the blade in a little poison. It works almost instantaneously to start breaking down the system." Fear gripped Mike at the word "poison". Was Robert really trying to kill Micky?

"If you kill us, we won't be able to open your precious box," Mike said.

"Oh, he won't die," Robert said. "The poison isn't lethal in low doses like this."

"What did you give him?" Ginny said glaring at Robert and speaking in the same low tone she had before.

"Ergot," Robert said. Mike didn't know what this was, but by the look on Ginny's face, he knew it wasn't good. She tried to reach Micky again, but Robert stopped her. He grabbed her by the arms and threw her back on the ground in front of Micky. His head was hanging low now, as if he were about to pass out.

"Leave her alone," Rose snapped.

"Bastard!" Ginny snapped and actually spat in Robert's face. Darla freaked out at this and lashed out, kicking Ginny and pushing her back to the ground. Mike's fear grew, however, when Robert actually stopped her. Mike knew Robert wouldn't have done that if he didn't have something worse in his head.

"You know, it's one thing to put images into Micky's head," Robert said softly. "It's another to make him actually experience it." Mike's heart stopped momentarily. He seemed to be somewhere else entirely when Robert pinned Ginny on the ground. He knew what was coming. Suddenly a rush of rage unlike anything Mike had experienced coursed through him. He screamed at Robert to stop what he was about to do and he fought against his ropes as hard as he could. He had to free himself. He couldn't let Robert touch Ginny like that. Especially not in front of Micky. But Micky didn't seem to notice; he sat still in the chair with his head hanging low. Mike thought he saw sparks in Ginny's hand for a split second just as Robert started to rip her clothes away from her body. Mike continued to fight against the ropes, desperately trying to free himself, but he couldn't watch. He turned his head and clenched his eyes tight. He heard Rose cry next to him and felt her bury her own head into his shoulder, not allowing herself to watch either. Mike fought and fought, but he couldn't loosen his bonds. He did everything he could to drown out the grunting sounds Robert was making, but it wasn't enough. He couldn't do anything to stop this. He was useless.


	22. Revealing

Author's Note: Let me start out by saying thank you to the guest that reviewed the other day and the two people who signed up to follow this story. It sparked new inspiration in me. I really do mean it when I say that reviews help inspire me and I value them highly. I've had a hard life and honestly, reviews are sometimes the only good part of my day and are often a major catalyst in telling me I've done something worthwhile. I've said before that you never know what kind of impact a review will leave on a person, well that's the impact reviews have on me. So please, if you like this story, tell me.

Chapter 22: Revealing

"He's not even awake," Mike heard Darla mutter several minutes later.

"Wake him up," Robert spat angrily. Mike opened his eyes and looked over. Micky's head was hanging off to one side and even from the angle he was at, Mike could tell his eyes were closed. Darla slapped Micky, but nothing happened. He wouldn't wake up.

"He's out cold," Darla said. "Poor baby can't handle the pain."

"Fine," Robert said angrily. "Let's just go." Robert stormed out of the room in anger at his failed attempt to torture Micky. Darla glanced at Mike and Rose and smiled. It made Mike sick.

"What the fuck are you smiling at, bitch?" Rose snapped.

"Just be glad I'm restrained," Mike added, "or I'd wipe that smile off your face."

"It's so cute that you think you can even touch me," Darla laughed before following Robert out the door. Mike snarled a little at her, but quickly turned his attention to Ginny. They'd left her lying on the ground, but now she was slowly getting up.

"Ginny, take it easy," Rose said as Ginny walked over to them, limping slightly.

"I'm fine," Ginny said brushing their concerns off. Her clothes were torn and hung loosely over her body. She looked a little pale and her lip was bleeding. She walked over and untied them.

"Mike, take care of Ginny," Rose said and immediately darted towards Micky.

"I said I'm fine," Ginny said, though she looked like she was going to fall over.

"Let me help you to the bathroom so you can get cleaned up," Mike offered.

"Ok," Ginny said, but when he reached out for her so she could lean against him, she flinched away.

"Sorry," Mike said quickly.

"No, it's not you," Ginny said. "It's just...it's involuntary. I know you aren't going to hurt me."

"He really won't wake up," Rose said worried.

"Oh, right, he won't for a few hours," Ginny said as she leaned into Mike and they walked toward the bathroom.

"Why?" Rose asked.

"I didn't think he should have to see that, so I willed him to sleep," Ginny said. "I tried to do the same to you, but you're too far away."

"Really?" Mike asked.

"It's not gonna hurt him," Ginny said. "But I promised him I wouldn't do anything like that to him…"

"We know it won't hurt," Rose said. "And you did what was right. He'll understand. I know he will."

"Want me to help you get him into bed?" Mike asked. "Once I help Ginny into the bathroom."

"No," Rose said. "I can't chance you getting infected too."

"What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"If any of his blood mixes with yours, you both will be infected," Rose said. Mike wasn't really sure what she was talking about, but thought he'd let it go and just help Ginny. He carried her into the bathroom and sat her down on the toilet seat.

"Your lip is bleeding," Mike said. "Let me help you clean it up." He grabbed a small rag from the sink and began to soak it with warm water when he noticed that his wrists were both bleeding. He stopped in shock. He felt no pain.

"You didn't know you were bleeding, did you," Ginny asked looking at him knowingly.

"I can't feel any pain," Mike said staring at his wrists. He must have worn open his wrist trying to fight the ropes that bound him.

"Adrenaline," Ginny said. "That's understandable." Mike shook his head a little and went back to trying to help Ginny. He carefully wiped her face clean of blood and dirt and noticed the blood on her lip was from a bite mark.

"Did you bite your lip?" Mike asked.

"I was trying not to cry," Ginny admitted. "I don't want to give him the satisfaction and I didn't want you to hear I was in pain."

"You don't have to hide that from us," Mike said feeling a knot in his stomach.

"You shouldn't have to be exposed to any of that," Ginny said.

"You shouldn't have to go through any of that," Mike said.

"I knew he'd get mad at me for spitting on him," Ginny said. "I knew he'd do that, just not in front of you. I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing to me?" Mike asked. "This isn't your fault."

"I told you I made a choice," Ginny said. "I knew what I was doing. I really don't care what he does to me. I just didn't think he'd drag you into it." Mike sighed. He knew she'd made a choice. She didn't care what happened to her and he couldn't really blame her for that. He'd gladly have taken a beating if it meant sparing her any kind of pain. But it wasn't just her that she had to worry about...but she didn't know. He knew he promised Rose he wouldn't say anything, but he was finding that difficult to do now.

"I got him into bed," Rose said as she entered the room before Mike could say anything.

"Good, can I talk to you?" Mike asked walking over to her and pulling her aside just outside the bathroom.

"Sure," she said as he dragged her.

"We need to tell her," Mike said bluntly. "She's making decisions about what he's going to do to her with limited information. If she knew she was putting her child at risk…"

"Mike, we don't know if she is even pregnant," Rose said.

"The likelihood is fairly high, I'd say," Mike said. "What if he hurts the baby? What if he already hurt the baby? She doesn't care what he does to her, but she'll care what he does to her baby. She needs to know."

"Alright," Rose sighed after looking through the doorway a moment at Ginny.

"What is going on?" Ginny asked when they walked back in.

"We need to tell you something," Mike said. "We think that maybe...maybe you should think of taking it easy when butting heads with Robert."

"I don't care what he does to me," Ginny said. "I know it's not right that you had to see what he did, but I wasn't going to let him keep torturing Micky."

"That's not what we mean," Mike said. "We think you have someone else to worry about."

"We think you might be pregnant," Rose said.

"That's not possible," Ginny said.

"Why not?" Mike asked surprised.

"My dad did experiments on me as a teenager," Ginny said. "He must have messed something up. I was here five years with him and he never wore a condom. I never got pregnant in five years."

"Maybe he was giving you birth control in your food or something," Rose offered. "And while you were free they wore off."

"Why would he be sneaky about giving them to me?" Ginny asked.

"Maybe he thought you wouldn't take it if you knew what it was," Rose said.

"What makes you think I'm pregnant anyway?" Ginny asked.

"You're sick all the time," Rose started, "you're walking with a gait of a woman with wider hips, and your chest is a little bigger. You have to admit your breasts are sore, right?"

"You really think I'm…" Ginny started. She moved her hand over her stomach and looked down. "I can't have a child in this place."

"We know," Mike said. "I really wish this wasn't happening like this. But we will be here to support you."

"Why?" Ginny asked quietly.

"What do you mean "why"?" Mike asked.

"Why would you want to help me deal with a pregnancy Robert caused?" Ginny asked.

"Because it's not something you asked for," Rose said. "And you're family."

"So is Robert," Ginny said. "Family doesn't mean anything."

"You're wrong," Mike said firmly. "Robert isn't family. Robert is a man who married her mother and made Micky. Doesn't make him family. Same goes for your father. Just because he made you, doesn't mean he's family. Family are people who stick together and love each other no matter what happens. They aren't always people who share your blood, but they are always people whom you choose to be in your life. You are family, Ginny. We will help you through this."

"Not that it matters to us, but you should remember that it may not be Robert's," Rose said.

"Micky…" Ginny trailed off before finally looking back up at them. "We can't tell him."

"Whatever you want," Rose said.

"He's already got enough stress to think about," Ginny said.

"It's ok," Mike said.

"And Robert can't know either," Ginny said.

"Of course," Rose said.

"Like we said, we'll support you," Mike said. "We'll help you get through this. Together."

"It makes sense," Ginny whispered lowering her head again.

"What does?" Rose asked.

"When my mother was pregnant, her powers were stronger," Ginny answered. "My grandmother said the same thing happened with her. When you have a powerful child, often times you tap into that baby's power when it's still in the womb. That's why I can do magic right now. I'm tapping into my baby's power."

"What happens if he starts giving her those pills again?" Mike asked. "Will it hurt the baby?"

"He would have already started if he were going to do it," Rose said. "I would think. I doubt he is because we're all eating the same food and if you and Micky were eating food laced with them, we'd notice. They're basically estrogen."

"I think I want to lie down," Ginny said.

"Sure," Mike said. "I'll help you to bed." Mike carefully helped her cross the room and let her lay down. He pulled some sheets over her, but she seemed in a daze. She seemed to look right past him, clearly too focused on her thoughts to comprehend what was around her right now.

"Let me clean your wrists," Rose said when he went back to the bathroom. Mike shrugged and let her start taking care of him. He still wasn't feeling any pain from it.

"What did he do to Micky?" Mike asked looking out the door at his friend passed out cold in the next room. "Robert said something about ergot. Do you have any idea what that is?"

"It's a sort of fungus that grows on crops," Rose answered. "Mostly wheat or rye."

"What does it do?" Mike asked.

"People extract LSD from it," Rose said bluntly.

"Really?" Mike asked surprised. "So what, Micky's gonna start hallucinating dancing purple unicorns?"

"Probably not that, but he will hallucinate," Rose said. "He'll also have muscle spasms and potentially seizures. I've only ever heard about it being ingested. If it gets directly into the bloodstream, it should do the same kind of damage, just faster. There was a small town in France that was infected not too long ago. They thought demons were after them; they all went mad. Some people even think ergot is responsible for the Salem Witch Trials."

"Really?" Mike asked.

"The ones infected were really the eldest because they got the biggest share of the food," Rose said. "It started out as a mass poisoning, but it turned political. Neighbors called each other out to grab for more land. At least that's the theory."

"So that's gonna happen to Micky?" Mike asked.

"He's gonna go crazy," Rose said finishing the bandages on his wrist. "And I have a feeling Robert wants him to hallucinate about what was done to us. That's why he was saying those things to Micky. We have to be really careful until this wears off."

"How long will that take?" Mike asked.

"I don't know," Rose said. "I hope it wears off quickly, but I really doubt it. Robert would have measured the dose carefully. Not enough to kill him but enough to keep him poisoned for a while."


	23. Lost and Confused

Author's Note: This one is for htfrjolenz. She actually took the time to review and message me and prompted me to write again. I stopped cause no one was saying they liked it.

Chapter 23: Lost and Confused

"Willow, you ok?" Davy asked. Instantly he knew this was a stupid question. How could she possibly be ok? The second he'd seen William on that slab, his heart broke. He knew what it meant for Willow and it broke him. She had run out the second she'd seen him and he followed. She was now sitting in the corner with her head buried in her knees crying. Davy sat down on the floor next to her and wrapped her in his arms when she didn't respond. She didn't push him away or fight him off. "Willow, I'm so sorry. I…I don't really know what to say here. We've been conditioned to say we're sorry, but now that we're here…in this position…I'm sorry just feels so empty. It's not enough."

"I knew something was wrong," Willow said into his shoulder. "I knew it. I can't explain it, but I knew it."

"You don't have to explain it," Davy said.

"I shouldn't be crying like this," Willow said.

"Why wouldn't you be?" Davy asked, shocked.

"They taught us this was going to happen," Willow said. "Growing up. Death was inevitable. We always have to be prepared to lose people and keep on with the mission."

"That's ridiculous," Davy said.

"The mission is more important. Your friends need me to help them, not sit in a corner and blubber."

"Knock that off right now. You aren't blubbering. That's stupid to think you can't grieve because the mission is too important. More important than you. That's not fair. I don't want that for you and I know my friends wouldn't want that for you either. You need to take time now to do what you need to do for yourself. From everything you guys have told me, there's always gonna be another mission. So if you don't grieve now, when? Even if you could find a break in the missions, what's that gonna do to you? You won't grieve until after it's already eaten a hole inside you. Death shouldn't be ignored. You can't pretend it doesn't bother you forever. Then you lose what makes you human. And isn't that what you guys are fighting for in the first place?"

"Dad always told me you're supposed to grieve," Willow said after a moment. She'd stopped crying, but he could still hear the pain in her voice. "He said burying his parents was the hardest day of his life. Until the day he buried my mom. His parents died in battle, in the line of duty. They were honored. Mom died giving birth to me. I once asked if it hurt more to bury Mom cause she hadn't died in the line of duty. He knelt down next to me and told me she had died in the line of duty. Just a different kind. Her duty was to me and to him. Family was always just as important to her as was the Brotherhood. She told the doctors to save me over her. He said that was one of the most honorable things a person could ever do."

"He's right," Davy agreed. "I think you should listen to your dad over the Brotherhood in this case."

"How can I do that? How can I just stop? Your friends need me."

"When you grieve, you don't stop living. You take the time to honor his memory. If it takes a few days, so be it. You bury him and you make sure you remember him. You hold him in your heart. Yes, it's gonna hurt. But you can't have happiness without pain. They're symbiotic. That's the way life is. But you focus on the good things about your father. Like when he told you about your mother."

"He said I looked like her. That every time I smiled, he could see her smiling again. That I was just as stubborn and pig headed as her. I laughed like her."

"Sounds like he really loved her."

"He did. He always made sure I knew her, even though I never met her. I could see how much he loved her in his eyes when he'd talk about her."

"You know what your father would want you to do right now. I know you know. Forget everyone else. Forget about me and Peter. What would he want you to do?"

"Grieve, but not let him die in vain."

"So what does that mean to you?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do. Look in your heart. What's he telling you?"

"It's ok to cry. But not forever. And that everything will be ok."

"I believe that." Davy smiled and pulled her close to him. Piper and Peter walked out a moment later and knelt down next to them.

"You wanna talk?" Piper asked softly.

"How did he die?" Willow asked, wiping her eyes.

"Clean shot," Piper answered.

"He didn't suffer," Willow said.

"Most likely," Piper agreed.

"Did he find them at least?" Willow asked.

"We don't know," Peter said. "We have some leads though. We can take you back to the motel while Piper and I follow up on them."

"You said we shouldn't split up," Willow said.

"We'll be ok," Piper said. "We'll check in often and as long as the two of you stay out of sight, we'll be fine. Peter and I don't plan on attracting attention. Just observations for now. You need to take some time. I don't need you. I can do this without you just fine."

"Are you sure?" Willow asked.

"Absolutely sure," Piper said with a soft smile. "Take time. I insist. If you're up for it, we should go."

"I want to bury him," Willow said standing up with Davy's help.

"I'll talk to Daryl," Piper said. "See what we can do. For now, we wanted you to have this." Piper reached out and placed something in Willow's hands. Willow looked down and another tear fell down her cheek. It was her father's wedding ring.

"Thank you," Willow said sounding a little choked. Piper embraced her before they turned to leave.

* * *

"You should drink this," Rose said handing a glass of water to Ginny. She was still quiet, but she had slept for an hour before waking and sitting up against the wall. Ginny looked at Rose for a few moments before taking the water. She took a slow sip and then looked over at Micky, who was still passed out on the next bed.

"What do you think he'll say?" Ginny asked. "When he finds out."

"I don't know for sure," Rose said, "but I can promise it'll be something along the lines of "I love you no matter what". This isn't gonna make him stop."

"At one point I thought we were gonna spend the rest of our lives together," Ginny said still looking at him. "He gave me your grandmother's ring and asked me to. We haven't had much time to really discuss where we stand now though. Do we start over? Pick up where we left off? Neither of us wanted to talk about it. Now we're really going to have to. And I can't ask him now. I can't ask him to do this."

"Do what exactly?" Rose asked softly. "Help you through this? I know he will cause he loves you."

"How can I ask him to watch me give birth to a baby that isn't his?" Ginny asked, looking down at her stomach now. "How can I ask him to watch the woman he loves give birth to his brother?"

"We don't know if that's the case yet," Mike said walking over to her to offer additional support. "For all we know, the baby is Micky's."

"But what if it's not?" Ginny asked. "How am I supposed to deal with that? How am I supposed to expect him to want to stick around?"

"I know Micky," Rose said. "I don't really think it's gonna change how he feels about you. And you know, if you're worried, there are other options. You don't have to raise this child. You can give it to another loving couple who will be able to give this child everything it needs. We can help with that. If that's what you want."

"My mother kept me," Ginny said. "I asked her once how she could even stand to look at me. She said from the moment she found out about me, she knew I'd be hers. She only ever thought about giving me away to keep me from him. To keep me safe. Not because she couldn't love me. When I was born, she saw how beautiful I was and had no second thoughts. I think it helped that I looked nothing like him. But what if this baby is different? Can I really be as strong as my mother? Can I really provide this baby with enough love? Can I look at it without hating it for what its father did? I'm scared."

"Ginny, listen to me very carefully," Rose said squeezing Ginny's hands in hers. "You are one of the most loving people in the world. I don't understand it; I don't know how. You've seen the worst evil the world has to offer, but you are the most loving. If you can come out of everything you've been through, and still love people the way you do, you can provide all the love this baby needs and more. Micky most likely won't walk away from you because of this. I won't lie, it's gonna be really hard on both of you. You're both gonna have to deal with some pretty major shit. But I know that the both of you are strong enough to do it, if you want."

"And you should know that no one is going to think any less of you if you decide to give this baby away," Mike added, brushing her hair out of her face. "Even doing that is hard. But you do what you feel is best for your baby and yourself. It's not selfish. And it's ok to be scared. Your mother would be proud of you for making it through everything you already have. And it's not going to change if you decide not to raise this baby."

"This isn't even something you have to figure out now," Rose said. "And it's something I think you should talk to Micky about."

"I can't," Ginny said. "Not right now. He's already under so much stress."

"I know," Mike said. He was about to continue, telling her that he'd be there for her when she felt the time was right to talk to her, but Micky groaned in pain next to them. They moved over to Micky just as he was opening his eyes. He groaned even louder and started moving around. He was in a lot of pain.

"Micky, can you hear me?" Ginny said kneeling next to him. Mike thought it a rather odd question since Micky was now clearly awake, but let Rose and Ginny deal with him because he had no idea what this ergot would do to him.

"Ginny," Micky said quietly through gritted teeth. "Hurts. Make it stop."

"What hurts?" Rose asked.

"Everything," Micky groaned. "Fire. Body burns."

"Micky, there's not much we can do, but we need to tell you that you've been poisoned," Rose said. "You're gonna be in pain and you're gonna hallucinate."

"Make it stop," Micky groaned.

"Can't we do something?" Mike asked. His heart hurt seeing his friend in this much pain. Micky was writhing on the bed now.

"There really isn't," Ginny said sadly.

"Can you make him go back to sleep?" Mike asked.

"No, if I do that too much, it'll mess with his head," Ginny answered.

"That shit's already messing with his head!" Mike said a little more angrily than he'd intended.

"That's not helping," Rose said getting up and pushing Mike away. "She can't. All we can do is try to make him comfortable."

"I'm sorry," Mike said.

"It's ok," Ginny answered waving him off. She was trying to keep Micky still as he was starting to claw at himself. "Go get a cool washcloth. Maybe that'll help."

"He needs to drink, too," Rose said as Mike nodded and ran into the bathroom to gather what the girls needed. When he returned, they were both holding him down onto the bed. Micky was almost roaring now, but it seemed less about pain than anything else.

"NO!" Micky yelled.

"Little help, Mike?" Rose asked. Mike quickly put the cloth and water on the floor and rushed to help them hold him down.

"What's going on?" Mike asked desperately.

"He's trying to claw at himself," Ginny said. "I don't really know why he's so upset."

"Micky, what's wrong?" Rose asked holding his legs as he now began kicking at her.

"You have to talk to us, Micky," Ginny said holding one arm while Mike held the other. "This is more than pain."

"Get away!" Micky yelled. "Get off!"

"What do we do?" Mike asked trying not to start crying. "We can't hold him down like this for long."

"I don't really know," Ginny said. "Maybe I have to put him to sleep. Just one-" Her words were cut off as a surge of rage flowed through Micky. The color drained from his face and he kicked Rose in the stomach, knocking her to the ground. In the moment of shock and desire to help Rose, Mike's grip loosened enough for Micky to break free of both him and Ginny. Ginny was hit over the arm and Mike was shoved hard. Micky jumped out of the bed and screamed. He wasn't trying to claw at his skin anymore. He was angry. He was about to attack.

"Micky!" Mike said drawing his attention away from the girls. "Stop! It's us! You're hallucinating!"

"NO!" Micky yelled and knocked Mike down to the ground. Mike didn't want to fight his friend, but he soon wouldn't be given much of an option. Micky pinned Mike to the ground. Mike's head hit the ground and for a second he was dazed. In that moment, Micky wrapped both hands around Mike's throat and squeezed.


	24. Choices and Clues

Author's Note: Thanks so much to the people who reviewed. I thought I didn't have any fans other than Di Va, but htfrjolenz reviewed and now three new people are reviewing! This makes me incredibly happy. Thank you so much and please keep letting me know you like it! It makes my day. Sorry it took me a bit to get this out. I had to take a few days to nurse a concussion.

Chapter 24: Choices and Clues

Mike's vision began to blur as Micky squeezed his windpipe. His instinct was to fight back; go for a kill blow. One perfect hit to Micky's throat with enough force could fracture his windpipe and make him suffocate. But this was Micky. And Micky didn't know what he was doing. Mike couldn't hurt him. Wouldn't.

"I won't let you hurt them again!" Micky said in a low, dangerous voice. Reaffirming that Micky wasn't aware of what he was doing. Micky was hallucinating. He thought Mike was Robert and that Mike was hurting Rose and Ginny. Mike tried gasping for breath, but nothing was working. He barely saw Ginny rush over and try to pull Micky off him. She just wasn't strong enough.

"Please forgive me," Rose said coming up behind Micky and wrapping him in a chokehold. Mike instantly felt the pressure release from around his neck as Micky let go. But he couldn't fight Rose off. Within seconds, Rose had Micky on the ground, unconscious.

"What did you do!?" Ginny asked.

"I didn't have a choice!" Rose answered. "Mike, are you ok?"

"Yeah," Mike answered hoarsely, sucking beautiful oxygen into his lungs. The room spun for a bit, but he quickly regained control. "It won't keep him out for long. He'll be ok, Ginny. You did what you had to, Rose. He thought I was Robert. He thought he was saving the two of you."

"I couldn't let him kill Mike," Rose said. "He's not himself."

"We can't just keep doing that to him, though," Mike said as Rose knelt next to him and began inspecting his throat. "We're gonna have to figure something out."

"I have an idea," Rose said softly. "I don't think any of us are gonna like it though. But we may not have a choice."

"We have to restrain him," Mike said. He figured that's what Rose was getting at since her eyes had fallen on the ropes in the corner that had restrained her and Mike.

"No," Ginny said, a small tear falling down her cheek. "I can't do that to him."

"Ginny, none of us like this plan," Rose said. "It's a bad plan. It's horrible. But it's all we've got. Either we restrain him, or we keep knocking him out which could cause permanent damage down the road. Or we let him attack us again. And if he severely hurts one of us or even kills one of us, he'll have to live with that. And you know as well as I do that Micky will never be able to live with himself if he does."

"You know if he were coherent, he'd ask us to do this for him," Mike said. "Given the choice between hurting one of us or being restrained…"

"It's not fair," Ginny said.

"No, it's not," Rose said walking over to her. Mike noticed she was limping a little and holding her stomach. "But we really don't have a choice."

"Are you ok?" Mike asked.

"Fine," Rose answered. "I'll be bruised for a bit, but I'll be ok." Mike thought about pushing the issue, but Micky started to groan again. Mike immediately got up and went for the ropes, hoping to restrain Micky before he could attack again. Rose was right; Micky would never be able to live with himself if he hurt any of them. But instead of waking up and attacking them, Micky inhaled sharply and his entire body went completely rigid. He muscles contracted and his body arched, his legs and arms contorted and his head stretched back. The choking sounds he made had Mike frozen on the spot.

"What's happening?" Mike asked.

"Seizure," Ginny said. Rose backed away a little in fright.

"What do we do?" Mike asked.

"Nothing," Ginny said. "Grab a pillow. We need to at least protect his head. There's nothing else we can do but to wait it out."

"I didn't do that to him, did I?" Rose asked.

"No," Mike said looking squarely at her. "You said yourself he was likely going to have a seizure with this stuff."

"Mike's right," Ginny said. "I was expecting this." Rose still looked scared, but Mike knew it was more because she was scared for her brother. Mike would talk to her more later; now Micky needed him. Mike knelt down next to Micky and put the pillow under his head. A moment later, Mike noticed Micky's pants start to get wet.

"Is that normal?" Mike asked. "Should we worry about that?"

"Yes," Ginny said. "He's losing control of all muscular function. Most of the muscles in his body are contracting and that includes the bladder."

"He's gonna be ok?" Mike asked. A second later, Micky let out a long breath and his whole body relaxed. Like his entire body was expelling that one breath held in for too long.

"Yes," Ginny said. "Hopefully. I think it's over now. For now."

"We should get him cleaned up," Mike said.

"I'll get some soap and water," Rose said darting off to the bathroom. Ginny nodded and they both slowly and carefully began removing his soiled clothing. Ginny's face started to turn a shade of green, however, and she quickly looked away.

"You ok?" Mike asked.

"I think so," Ginny answered unbelievable.

"Ginny?" Mike pushed.

"I think it's the smell," Ginny said. "I don't know why. It's just really strong. It's making me want to throw up."

"So go in the bathroom," Mike said. "I can take care of Micky."

"No, I should be-" She trailed off and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Ginny, it's fine," Mike said. "I can take care of him. He's my best friend and he needs my help. You need to take care of yourself before we have to wash your vomit from him, too."

"You sure?" Ginny said. Mike nodded and she darted off toward the bathroom as Rose walked out.

"What?" Rose asked confused.

"Smell's bothering her," Mike said.

"Yeah, that can happen," Rose said sympathetically setting down a bowl of soapy water, a bowl of regular water and some cloths. Rose helped Mike lift Micky into the nearby bed so he could be a little more comfortable. Rose then gathered up his soiled garments. "We don't have detergent, but I can try and get these cleaned with regular soap."

"Thanks," Mike said. He reached over to the cloths and dipped them into the soapy water as Rose walked into the bathroom with his clothes. Micky's eyes were open a little now and Mike briefly worried Micky would flip out again. Yet now Micky looked far too weak to do anything. "Hey, Micky. I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I'm sorry about all this. I wish there was a way out of this. I wish I knew how to make you better. I wish…" Mike sighed not really knowing what else to say. They all wanted to be out of there. Mike looked at his friend sympathetically. Looking at Micky now, Mike wasn't sure how he was still keeping things together. He could tell Rose and Ginny were starting to crack and fall apart, but he couldn't. One of them had to stay strong for the rest of them. One of them had to take care of the rest. And Mike would be that one. He'd let the girls grieve and cry and he'd be there to pick up the pieces.

"Mike," Micky said softly.

"Just take it easy," Mike said. "You've been poisoned. You've hallucinated and your brain is really messing up. I'm gonna clean you up a bit. I don't want you to think I'm hurting you. I would never hurt you. I'm just making sure you're clean and comfortable." Micky opened his eyes a little. Long enough to look into Mike's eyes and give a soft nod. He closed them again, but Mike could tell he was still conscious. His breathing was labored and he grabbed Mike's arm to squeeze as if telling Mike he was ok. Mike carefully began to clean Micky's legs first, taking care to be gentle. With Micky hallucinating the way he was, he didn't want Micky to suddenly think Mike was doing something else to him. Micky was vulnerable lying there completely naked and Mike wanted to make sure Micky felt safe despite that.

Mike finished up without incident and covered his friend with the sheet. He glanced at the ropes sitting in the corner, then back at his friend. He knew restraining Micky would be the best option to prevent him from attacking them again, but now he was worried if Micky had another seizure while, it would hurt Micky more. And looking at his friend now, Micky was weak. The seizure had taken a lot out of his friend. And when Mike had looked into his eyes, just for that moment, he could see his friend looking back at him. Not anything else. Micky would be ok for now. Mike would just let him rest.

* * *

Peter sat in the car next to Piper waiting outside the motel Daryl had told them William's body had been found. They hadn't been sitting there very long - just long enough to come up with a plan. Piper wanted to get into the hotel room and search it for herself in case there was something the cops missed. In order to do that, they needed the key to get in. Piper had come up with a way to do so without hurting anyone.

"Will she be ok?" Peter asked suddenly. They'd dropped Willow and Davy off at the hotel they were staying at so she could have the time she needed to grieve.

"She's strong," Piper said. "She'll get through this. I'll make sure she's not alone in this. I'll do what I can to make sure she can handle this."

"What about you?" Peter asked. "You gonna be ok?"

"Yeah," Piper answered. "I didn't know him that well, but he was a great guy. A strong, powerful assassin and a wonderful father and friend. He was everything I dreamed a father and assassin should be. It breaks my heart that he's gone. I'll be ok once we find the son of a bitch that killed him. Bring justice to Willow."

"Yeah," Peter said not really knowing what else to say. They sat in silence for a moment before Piper handed him something: a small round ball.

"You ready?" Piper asked. Peter nodded and took the ball hesitantly. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you." Piper leaned over and kissed him. The feeling sent a renewed sense of hope through him. He smiled and they got out of the car. Piper hung back while Peter made his way towards a trash can near the front office. He looked around quickly to make sure no one was around and pulled a small wire from the ball Piper had given him before dropping it in the can. Within seconds, smoke began billowing out of the trash can. Peter turned and ran over to the office.

"FIRE!" Peter yelled ripping open the door. The manager was the only person inside the office. When Peter entered and yelled at him, the manager jumped up and fell out of his seat.

"What? Where?" the manager nearly yelped.

"Here!" Peter said waving toward the trash can. The manager ran out and followed Peter. Peter glanced over his shoulder to make sure Piper had made her way into the office without problem. The manager saw the smoke and turned down a hallway to grab a fire extinguisher. He then ran over to the trash can and sprayed the fire extinguisher over it. He sprayed for at least two full minutes before the smoke finally stopped. Piper had told Peter in the car that the smoke bomb she'd given him should last about 3 minutes, giving her enough time to sneak into the office, steal the key to William's room and get out.

"Are you alright?" the manager asked breathing heavily and turning to Peter.

"I'm fine," Peter said. "I just saw smoke come out and thought I should tell you. But now that it's out, I should get going."

"Thank you," the manager said. "Glad no one was hurt." The manager turned and walked back to the office without noticing Piper emerge from it. She casually walked away and the manager was too lost in his own thoughts to really notice her. When she walked up to Peter and smiled.

"You did great," she said.

"Did you get it?" Peter asked.

"Yep," she smiled holding up the key. They both turned and made their way to the room William had been in. "You might want to wait outside. I'm not sure if they'll be done cleaning the room up and looking at the blood might be too much for you."

"I'll be fine," Peter lied as they arrived. He admitted, he was nervous about the kind of carnage he might be about to witness. "Besides, if I hang out outside the room a man was just killed in, it'll look suspicious and draw attention to you."

"Very good point," Piper said. She put the key in the door and opened it slowly. She poked her head in as if trying to assess the situation before letting Peter see. When she opened the door she smiled at him. "Looks like they've already removed the carpet and started painting the walls. So you should be fine."

"What exactly are we looking for then?" Peter asked following her into the room and closing the door behind them. The floor was bare concrete and the furniture was stacked oddly off to one side. It looked as though they were in the process of re-carpeting the room, but didn't actually remove any furniture. They were doing patch jobs. Quick and cheap. "If they've started cleaning, I doubt there will be anything of his left."

"We are really good at hiding things in case of attack," Piper said. "We don't want certain things to fall into the wrong hands. He may have hidden something where a hotel maid typically wouldn't touch, like taped to the bottom side of a drawer or behind a painting. Since they've already started cleaning, we won't have to worry about fingerprints."

"Oh," Peter said as Piper began looking behind a picture frame. Peter took her lead and pulled out all the drawers in the room and looked under them. They'd looked for nearly half an hour in the small room before Piper gave up.

"Maybe there is nothing here," Piper said sitting on the bed. "We should try something else."

"Ok, before we go, I need to use the bathroom," Peter said. Piper nodded and sighed, clearly lost in thought. Peter closed the door to the bathroom and found the toilet. When he went to wash his hands, he noticed something odd about the mirror. It appeared to be glued to the wall, but this was also done very cheaply. A corner wasn't snug against the wall and something was sticking out. It was so obscure and matched the wall so well, Peter almost didn't notice it. When he plucked at it, an envelope fell out from behind the mirror.

"You ready?" Piper asked when he came out.

"I found this," Peter said handing her the envelope. "Tucked behind the mirror. It wasn't glued to the wall all the way."

"Nice catch," Piper said taking the envelope from him. She pulled out the papers inside and began to read, but her face filled with confusion instantly.

"What does it say?" Peter asked.

"I don't know," Piper said turning it over. "It's not in English."

"Oh," Peter said peering at the words. He couldn't tell what language they were. "Maybe Willow knows?"

"Maybe," Piper said. "But I don't want to bother her with this just yet. She needs some time. I'll give her tonight. We can follow up on some other leads and ask her in the morning if she's feeling up to it."


	25. Change of Plans

Author's Note: Short chapter, I know, but hope you enjoy it. Review please!

Chapter 25: Change of Plans

Peter sat at a table in a local library. He was in the back corner waiting for Piper to return. They had arrived half an hour earlier and Peter had set about finding information on the phone number William had on him. Piper was going to research the business cards. Piper had given him a hoodie to wear so his face would be obscured from any prying eyes. He looked up and smiled as Piper walked up.

"What did you find out?" Piper asked.

"The phone number is for a local archaeologist," Peter answered sliding the slip of paper across the table. He'd written the archaeologists name and address on it. "My guess is William called him to ask him about the Indian tribes that lived here while that thing was buried. Get as much information as he could on it."

"I doubt an archaeologist would know much about it," Piper said.

"Maybe, but it couldn't hurt to ask," Peter said. "He may have some sort of idea where more of them might be buried. What did you find out?"

"One was a pawn broker and the other two realtors," Piper answered.

"Realtors?" Peter asked confused. It seemed like a weird time for William to be looking to buy a house.

"Well yes," Piper answered. "Robert would need property out here. He wouldn't be able to hide Micky and the others without property. Normally we look for something abandoned or large."

"That seems like a lot to go on," Peter said.

"Yes, I know," Piper sighed. "But this is a special case and I think we might be able to narrow it down a bit. We know it has to be large enough to house him, Micky and the others, as well as the guards watching over them. So it won't be one or two bedrooms."

"I doubt they'd use an abandoned property," Peter said. "Having someone moving around and screaming prisoners might draw attention."

"Yes," Piper agreed. "And because of the screams, I'd bet that he wouldn't be smack in the middle of town. It'd have to be remote. And it would have to have a basement of some sort."

"Basement?" Peter asked. "Why would they need a basement?"

"Best place to hold Micky and the others," Piper answered. "A basement wouldn't really have any windows for them to escape from or shout out. The walls would be solid enough where they couldn't force their way out either. Surrounded on all sides by dirt. Plus a basement would be large enough for the four of them and likely have just enough plumbing to make a passable bathroom."

"You think Robert's letting them have a bathroom?" Peter asked. He hadn't really pictured anything like that. He kinda pictured what happened in old movies where people were tied to train tracks or chained to walls.

"I know Robert," Piper said. "Yes, he lied to us our entire lives, but I grew up around him. He was always kinda a jerk and controlling. He pushed people. He pushed us harder than most other parents push their kids. I never liked him that much. I know he's gonna keep them just comfortable enough to keep them from fighting too much. They won't be chained. He may even give them beds. And I'm not talking mattresses on the floor. The mattresses won't be great, but they'll be enough to sleep on. Shower, toilet, sink, water. Basic essentials. To keep them alive and healthy. He's sadistic, but he needs them alive."

"Oh, right," Peter said. It kinda made sense the way she said it. "I have a question, and this might sound kinda cold, but…if he was such a jerk, why did Micky's mother fall in love with him?"

"It's ok," Piper said. "I understand the question. I was too young to really remember anything, but I asked my parents after he pushed Micky so hard during training that Micky's arm broke. I couldn't understand why my favorite aunt was in love with such a jerk. My mom told me she thought it had more to do with the death of Rose's father more than anything else. She was so distraught that she fell in love with the first man who came in and swooped her out of her misery. Mom said she never really got over the death of Rose's father. I think she was just settling. Robert came in and helped Diana during the last part of her pregnancy. He helped her give birth to Rose. Something like that creates a bond."

"So she was ok with Micky breaking his arm?"

"Of course not. She was furious with him! I'd never seen her so furious with him. Mom said Diana nearly kicked Robert out, but he turned on his charm again. Won her over all over again. Diana was a wonderful mother. Gave everything to Micky and Rose. Did everything for them. Robert and Diana were polar opposites in many ways. He never outright abused the kids or her and she had a blind spot for some of the what she called "poor decisions" he made."

"Do you know what happened to Rose's father?"

"Actually, all I know is that he was killed. No one in the family talked about it very much. I don't even know what his name was."

"That's weird."

"Yeah, it is. I just kinda assumed it was because she never got over his death and bringing him up reminded her of it. Anyway, we should get going. There's nothing else we can do tonight. In the morning we'll contact these people and ask what they told William. We'll have to be careful though, in case they're the ones who killed William."

"How do we do that? If they killed him, won't us asking questions tip them off to us, too?"

"Yes, but we'll check them out before we talk to them and be very careful with our words. Let me talk to them, ok?"

"Of course."

"We'll stop and grab something to eat on the way back."

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something," Peter said as they stood to leave. "I know we're really tight on funds and stuff, but I thought maybe with everything Willow's going through, it might be kinda nice to bring her something better than whatever was cheap on the way."

"Peter…" Piper started as they reached the front doors. She sighed and they walked outside towards their car.

"I know it's expensive and we don't have money coming in and we have to make the emergency funds last, but she deserves it. I'll skip eating tonight if we can give her something nice."

"That's so sweet, Peter, and I do love that about you, but you can't skip a meal. She wouldn't want you to and you need your energy."

"Perhaps I can help," Daryl suddenly said behind them.

"Daryl," Piper said smiling at him. He'd startled Peter, but he got the idea that Piper knew he'd been behind them for a while.

"Hey, I hoped I'd catch you," Daryl said. "I have an offer for you. I'm assuming that you guys will likely be here for a while and paying for a hotel is gonna add up. My sister moved out of the house we shared last month, so I have her room and a guest room extra. Stay with me. I'm too prominent in the area to attack, so you'll be safer there anyway."

"You don't think that because of your prominence, us staying with you will bring undue attention?" Piper asked.

"Maybe, if you aren't careful," Daryl said. "But you are very careful. It'll be nicer accommodations anyway. And better food. More room to move around and stay in shape. I converted my basement to a home gym."

"Alright," Piper said with a smile. "If you insist."

"I do," Daryl smiled. "Let me know what Willow's favorite food is; I would love to make her something tonight."

"She loves Italian," Piper said. "Her dad made a good ziti."

"Ziti is it then," Daryl said. "You remember where my house is?"

"Yes," Piper answered.

"Good, I'll meet you there," Daryl said. "Just gonna head by the store on the way home."

* * *

Mike wiped a little sweat off Micky's face and forehead. He was very clammy and still burning up. Mike placed the cold, wet washcloth Rose had brought out before he'd flipped out under the back of his neck. He only hoped that it would make Micky more comfortable, although it didn't seem so. Micky was still groaning slightly as if he was in pain. Mike was trying to think about what else he could do to when he heard a stifled yelp from the bathroom. Mike quickly dashed over and opened the door. Rose was leaning against the wall of the bathroom holding her stomach and Ginny was asleep on the floor.

"What happened?" Mike asked worriedly. "You ok?"

"Yes," Rose answered as Mike walked over to her. "I'm fine. It's nothing."

"Rose…" Mike pressed. He knew she was trying to downplay whatever pain she was in.

"Ginny passed out," Rose said. "I think all that really took a toll on her. It's really not good for her or the baby. I tried to move her to a bed to make her a little more comfortable, but…"

"But what?" Mike asked.

"I tried lifting her, but my stomach," Rose said. "Micky kicked me hard."

"Let me see it?" Mike asked.

"It's fine, can you just help her please?" Rose said covering her stomach with her arms. Mike reluctantly nodded and knelt down to lift Ginny off the floor. Rose followed him as he carried Ginny to a bed.

"Ok, she's resting," Mike said pulling a sheet over Ginny, "now, please let me look at your stomach?"

"It's fine," Rose said. Mike gave her a look that said she shouldn't argue with him cause he wasn't going to drop it. So she finally relented and sat down on one of the vacant beds. Mike lifted up her shirt a little to reveal her stomach. There was a large red spot across one side that was beginning to turn green.

"Yeah, he really did get you good," Mike said.

"It's nothing serious, I'm sure," Rose said. "Just a major bruise. If there were internal bleeding or anything, I'd know by now."

"You do realize that a bruise IS internal bleeding right?" Mike chuckled. She glared at him, but smiled. "This is gonna be a pretty nasty bruise. You'll be in pain for a while, but you're right, I don't think there's any other damage."

"I'd really rather not let Micky find out about this," Rose said quietly looking at Micky. "If we can avoid it."

"Hopefully he won't remember any of this," Mike said sitting on the bed next to Rose.

"He can't hear us, can he?" Rose asked.

"I'm not sure he's really that aware of what's going on," Mike said.

"Shouldn't we restrain him in case he freaks out again?" Rose asked.

"I don't really want to just yet," Mike said. "If we restrain him and he has another seizure…"

"He'll hurt himself more," Rose said as Mike trailed off. "What do we do if he flips out again? Do I knock him out again?"

"I don't think that'll be a problem for a little bit," Mike said. "When I was cleaning him up, he looked at me and he looked at me. Before when he was choking me, he looked towards me. He wasn't seeing me. Wow, that really made no sense."

"It kinda did," Rose said. "I know what you meant."

"Why don't you just try and get some sleep," Mike said. "We still have a long road ahead of us."

"Only if you do, too," Rose said. Mike nodded and laid down. Rose curled up next to him, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his chest. Mike carefully stroked her hair and before long, she had fallen asleep. Mike couldn't sleep very well though. His thoughts were swirling. He was worried about each and every one of them. He wouldn't be able to sleep for a while and when he finally did, it was short and strained.


	26. Pain

Author's Note: Thanks for the continued support. Please keep reviewing.

Chapter 26: Pain

Mike woke up the next morning. Morning light was streaming through a small rectangular window above his bed. The only window in the room; far too small for any of them to get through. There was a small curtain they never really closed, wanting to keep tabs on the sunrises and sunsets. Rose was still asleep on his chest and Micky and Ginny were both asleep in nearby beds. Mike sat there for a while trying to let the others sleep in a little. A good sleep was long overdue for each of them. The stress finally overtook their worry and it was the first time they'd all really slept through the night. After nearly half an hour, Micky began groaning a little. Mike woke up Rose so he could get up and tend to Micky.

"Try not to move too much, Micky," Mike said walking over to his friend. Rose was sitting on the edge of the bed, but she was alert just in case she needed to leap into action again. But Micky seemed far more coherent today. Ginny woke up at the sound of Mike's voice and slowly pulled herself out of bed.

"The light," Micky groaned throwing his arm over his eyes. "Burns. Head." Rose jumped up, wincing in pain slightly and lowered the curtain for the window. The room was shrouded in darkness now. It took a moment for Mike's eyes to adjust, but since there was never any other light aside from a small lamp in the bathroom, it wasn't too hard.

"Is that better?" Mike asked. Micky lowered his arm and nodded.

"My head is pounding," Micky said.

"That's to be expected," Rose said coming over.

"What happened?" Micky asked.

"What do you remember?" Mike asked nervously. He hoped Micky didn't remember attacking them.

"I don't really know," Micky said. "Everything's kinda fuzzy."

"Your father poisoned you," Ginny said calmly walking over to them.

"Robert," Micky said forcefully. "Not my father."

"Robert," Mike affirmed. "Robert poisoned you. Something called ergot."

"Is that why I feel like my brain is leaking out my ears?" Micky asked.

"Yes," Rose said. "It's making you hallucinate and have muscular spasms."

"Ok, now why am I naked?" Micky asked.

"Well, part of the problem with the poison is that it can cause seizures," Rose started cautiously. "And…well…"

"Please don't tell me I wet myself," Micky groaned.

"It's not like you could really help it," Mike said. "Don't be embarrassed."

"I guess I gotta say thanks for not letting me sit in that," Micky sighed.

"Your clothes should be dry soon," Ginny said.

"Umm…who cleaned me?" Micky asked blushing a little.

"We all helped," Mike said. He didn't want to tell Micky that Ginny couldn't because she was too sick due to being pregnant and Rose had to nurse her. "It's ok. Like I said, nothing to be embarrassed about."

"You said I've been hallucinating," Micky asked clearly wanting to change the subject. "What exactly am I gonna see? Fairies?"

"Not quite," Rose said. Mike could tell she was trying to choose her words very carefully. "It's different for different people, but I think you'll be hallucinating things more down to Earth. You could hallucinate Robert being in here and attacking one of us, for instance."

"I think I did," Micky said. "I think I did see Robert. I thought it was a nightmare. I attacked him. So did I just attack thin air?"

"Micky, we should discuss this at a later time," Ginny said. "You really need to just rest. Too much stress is not good for you."

"What happened?" Micky asked.

"Nothing," Mike said. Micky turned to look at him and his face got a little pale.

"What happened to your neck?" Micky asked. Mike hadn't really looked, but he assumed with the force Micky had applied to his neck that it was likely pretty bruised. "Did Robert do that to you?"

"In a way," Mike said. Technically it was the truth. He blamed Robert for what Micky did, not Micky himself. However, it looked like Micky already knew the answer to his question, even as he asked it.

"I…I did that, didn't I?" Micky asked looking down at his own hands. "I remember thinking Robert was in here…hurting Ginny. I tried to stop him. I choked him. But he wasn't really here. And I felt actual flesh under my hands….not air…"

"Micky, you need to rest," Mike said.

"I rested all night," Micky countered.

"I'm fine," Mike said.

"Why'd I stop?" Micky asked.

"I stopped you," Rose said softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice. I knew you'd want me to if you were in your right mind."

"But you weren't," Mike said. He couldn't pretend nothing happened anymore. All he could do was try to reassure Micky that it wasn't his fault. "I could see it in your face, you weren't thinking right. You thought I was Robert. I don't blame you for what you did. I'd have done the same thing to Robert. These drugs make you think things that aren't true. See things that aren't there."

"Why didn't you tie me up?" Micky asked.

"We thought about it," Rose said quietly. "But after your seizure, we didn't want you restrained in case it happened again. You'd have been worse off."

"You aren't accountable for your actions right now," Ginny said. "He's trying to mess with your head. And you really do need to rest. Even if you don't sleep right now, you need to rest your mind."

"How long does this stuff stay in my system?" Micky asked. "I'm assuming it's not lethal. Robert wouldn't want to kill me."

"We aren't really sure," Rose answered. "Most people are infected through ingestion. It's like LSD. He cut you and introduced it directly into your bloodstream. It could go either way at this point."

"All the more reason for you to not stress about it," Ginny said. "Just relax."

"I don't know that I can right now," Micky answered. "I feel like I got hit by a dump truck. I got an elephant sitting on my chest and another on my legs."

"Maybe if you sit up you can breathe a little better," Mike said moving to help Micky sit up a little better. Rose walked over to the bathroom, presumably to check on Micky's clothes. "How's that?"

"Better," Micky answered. "But it still hurts a lot."

"I checked on your clothes," Rose said walking out of the bathroom with a glass of water in her hands. She handed Micky the glass of water and sat on the edge of the bed. "They're still damp; give them another couple hours. But you need to keep your fluids up. Drink this."

"Thank you," Micky said taking a sip. He groaned and twisted his face in pain.

"You ok?" Mike asked.

"It hurts to swallow," Micky said. "It hurts to breathe, it hurts to think, it hurts to everything."

"I'm sorry, Micky," Rose said. "You really need to stay hydrated though. It's really important with this poison."

"I know," Micky said forcing himself to take another sip. Again, he winced in pain.

"Just try and take it easy," Mike said.

"Yeah, sure," Micky said with a slight huff. Mike knew given the situation they all found themselves in that relaxing was next to impossible. But Micky had to at least try. "Sorry, Mike."

"For what?" Mike asked.

"Hurting you," Micky answered. "Did I hurt anyone else?"

"Not seriously," Rose admitted.

"Sorry," Micky mumbled.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Mike said. "What happened wasn't your fault. Not even close to being your fault. No one blames you. We blame your fath-Robert. We blame Robert."

"Doesn't really make things any easier, does it?" Micky asked, though Mike knew he didn't expect an answer. A moment of uncomfortable silence later, they heard the locks on the door opening.

"Oh what fresh hell is this?" Rose asked moving to stand in front of Micky. When the door opened a moment later, someone entered that none of them were expecting.

"Meg?" Mike asked. "What the hell do you want?"

"I suppose I deserve that warm reception," she answered. She had long, curly blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and piercing blue eyes. She was young; not much older than Mike. At one time Mike would have said she was beautiful. Not anymore. She held a bag in one hand and stood firmly in front of the door. Mike stood next to Rose in front of Micky, shielding him further.

"You suppose?" Rose scoffed. "That's rich."

"Yes, I lied to you, but I had to," Meg answered. "I was under Robert's control and guidance. I never thought he'd take anything this far."

"Right," Rose said. "You're still one of them though, aren't you? You wouldn't be here if you weren't."

"Yes, I am, but you have to understand, all they want is peace," Meg said.

"You call this peace?" Mike asked.

"No," Meg said. "Robert has taken things too far. I'm sorry for all this. I really am. But what he is doesn't represent what we want. We want people to get along. I wish I could help you see that."

"You can't have peace by turning people into puppets and pulling on their strings," Rose snapped. "That's not peace, that's domination. Control."

"Not puppets," Meg said.

"That's what that device does," Ginny said. "It takes people's free will away. It allows you to control them. Robert would control every aspect of their lives. Robert would decide whether you had steak or chicken for dinner."

"When used to its full capacity, yes," Meg said. "But all we want it for is to make the world a better place. Violence and hatred are inherent in the human race. We want to use the artifact to suppress that. No more murder, no more war. Everyone would live in peace with each other. That's all we want. I wish you could understand that and help us."

"No," Rose said. "You'd make choices for mankind. Say it was in our best interest. You already are. You'd make us have chicken because steak will raise our cholesterol and you would get your fucking jollies out of the amount of control you have over us. You can't like and sugar coat any of it. We aren't helping you turn men into puppets. Slaves."

"Look, I didn't come down here to get into a philosophical debate with you," Meg said getting a little angry.

"Why the hell did you come down here?" Mike asked.

"To help," Meg answered.

"Right," Rose said skeptically.

"I did," Meg answered. "I know what Robert did to Micky and I want to help. I brought some medicine."

"You sure it's not more poison?" Rose asked.

"It's morphine," Meg said. "I promise."

"We're supposed to believe you now?" Rose asked. "After you spent years lying to us?"

"I only lied to you about my alliances," Meg said walking toward them and taking a small bottle and needle out of the bag she was holding. "I never lied about how I felt about each of you. I really do care for you. Look, the bottle hasn't been tampered with and the label clearly says morphine." Meg handed Mike the bottle and needle to inspect. He looked at it and it did appear to be as she said.

"I'm not going to let you give him anything," Rose said.

"Shouldn't that be his decision?" Meg said. "He hasn't said anything."

"Trying not to bash your face in," Micky said softly. Mike could tell he was trying to hide pain behind his words. And not just emotional pain.

"Fine," Meg said. "Do what you want. I'll leave this with you. I just wanted to help."

"If you really want to help, you'll get us the hell out of here," Mike said.

"I wish I could," Meg said. "I really do. But it took some convincing just to let me come down here. He doesn't know about the morphine as it is. Maybe you should just try to see things from our point of view and help us."

"Never," Rose snapped.

"I always cared about you," Meg said reaching out to touch Mike's arm softly. Mike pulled away in disgust.

"Don't touch me," Mike said. Meg looked at him for another moment, then turned to leave.

"Who was that?" Ginny asked once Meg had left and locked the door behind her.

"Robert's niece," Rose said. "At least that's what he told us. She'd come stay with us when her parents were away on missions. They never got into details. Guess the missions were more along the lines of Templars, not Assassins."

"I remember you mentioning her," Ginny said. "Only other member of Robert's family you ever met."

"He always said his parents were dead," Micky said wincing in pain. "And his sister, Meg's mother, was always just too busy. Not sure I believe any of that now."

"Micky, maybe you should think about taking some of this," Mike said. "It looks legit. I can't see any signs of tampering or anything."

"You sure?" Rose asked.

"Pretty sure," Mike said. "No holes in the bottle and the label looks clean. Doesn't appear to be anything wrong with it."

"Maybe you should," Ginny said to Micky. "I can tell you're in a lot of pain."

"Can't really make me worse, can it?" Micky said.

"It could kill you if it's not morphine," Rose said.

"Robert doesn't want to kill Micky," Mike said. "For what it's worth, I think she was telling the truth."

"Of course you do," Rose snapped. "She always had a thing for you."

"That's not fair," Mike said.

"Don't fight," Micky said wincing in pain. "She said it was up to me and if Mike thinks it hasn't been tampered with, I'm willing to believe him. Right now I can't even think straight I'm in so much pain. I can't even breathe."

"It'll help you relax," Ginny said.

"Then give it to me," Micky said.

"You sure?" Mike asked. Micky nodded and moved over to Micky's side. He carefully unscrewed the cap on the bottle and took the protective cap off the needle. Mike dipped the needle into the bottle and withdrew a small amount.

"This is gonna hurt," Mike said moving to find a suitable spot on Micky's arm.

"With the amount of pain I'm in, that isn't even gonna register," Micky said. Mike felt terrible at the thought. He couldn't even imagine what Micky was going through. He didn't even want to imagine it. Instead he would do everything he could to make Micky feel better. Micky held his arm firm as Mike injected him with the medicine. Within a few moments, Mike saw Micky's whole body begin to relax and very quickly he was asleep again.


	27. History Lessons

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, everyone. I'm having a hard time emotionally right now and didn't really feel up to writing a lot. I working to fix things, but it's a struggle. Having such nice people show their support for me helps some, but my writing is a bit slow going. Hope things start to change for me soon. Not sure how much more I can take. Thanks for your understanding.

Chapter 27: History Lessons

Peter was lost in thought as he and Piper walked across the local college campus. The night before, the four of them had gone to Daryl's to try and cheer up Willow at least a little. Peter knew they wouldn't be able to take her pain away with a nicer bed and good meal, but he thought maybe it would help a little. Just enough. She had smiled when she saw the food, but only a little. After dinner she'd asked Daryl what was going to happen to her father's body. She couldn't claim his body without alerting the Templars she was there. He'd reassured her he'd contact the local Assassins so they could make arrangements; he wouldn't be buried as a John Doe. He'd get the burial he deserved.

In the morning, Peter had walked into the kitchen to notice a pot of stale coffee next to Piper. Willow and Davy had gone to bed right after dinner in the den that Daryl had converted into a temporary bedroom. Neither Peter nor Piper wanted to bother them, knowing that Davy was just offering what little comfort he could to her. Piper had informed Peter that she hadn't slept very well and had been up for a while. Peter had been the same. He was tired, even now, but every time he'd closed his eyes, he'd seen William's body. Cold and lifeless. Keeping busy would help him clear his mind a bit though. Which is what they had planned for today.

When they left Daryl's house that morning, he'd already left for work. He'd assured them he'd find out more about the investigation if he could and touch base with them that night. Piper and Peter had left a note for Davy and Willow when they left for the school encouraging them to just take it easy. The day was one Peter would normally enjoy; bright and sunny, beautiful and clear. Birds chirped overhead and the smell of freshly mown grass filled Peter's nostrils. It was the exact opposite of how Peter felt. How could the sun shine like this when his friends were being tortured somewhere? How could the world continue without them? Without Mike's coy smile and Micky's infectious laugh? It was as if the world was mocking him.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Piper pulled open a door leading them into a building. He followed her down a hall until they found a set of stairs and went up to the second floor. Piper consulted a plaque on the wall informing them of which direction to go. They took a left and continued on in silence until they reached the proper door. There were a small set of comics taped to the outside of the door meant to make students feel more relaxed while they waited. Piper knocked on the door and waited for the response before opening the door.

"Yes, may I help you?" A man asked sitting behind a large, cluttered desk. His office was littered with books, knick-knacks and pictures of artifacts. The man was middle aged wearing a casual suit and wire glasses.

"Yes, I was wondering if you had a few moments to help us?" Piper said as they walked in. "A friend of mine took your class a few semesters ago and recommended you."

"Oh really?" The professor asked. "What's her name?"

"Valerie," Peter said quickly. The song Davy wrote was the first thing that sprang to mind.

"I remember a Valerie last year," the professor said. "Good student. How is she?"

"She's great," Piper said.

"Well, I suppose I have a few minutes," he said smiling at them. "What can I do for you?"

"We were interested in some of the area's first people," Piper said. "What can you tell us about them?"

"I teach an entire class on that subject alone," he answered.

"Can you just give us the basics?" Peter asked. "We're doing some research for an article."

"Well, the Cochise and Anasazi were the first natives to settle and develop agriculture here in Arizona," the professor answered. "That was around 4,000 years ago. After that there were the Hopi and the Hohokam."

"Are they the oldest people to have lived here?" Piper asked.

"There were nomadic people before then," he answered. "Very little is known about them because they didn't build cities or have a written history, of course, but the oldest set of human remains to be found in North America is roughly 9,000 years old."

"Where are most of the remains of these people found?" Piper asked.

"There are some ruins in the Tonto National Forest," he answered. "They were cliff dwellers. Others settled up north in the volcanic fields utilizing the nutrients in the soil from the ash. Some went south of here closer to the rivers. They were fairly widespread. The nomadic people would tend to stick wherever the food went. Bison and the like. Which tended to stick close to water."

"There were no people before the Indians?" Peter asked. Ginny had made it sound like the First Civilization people were a lot older than 9,000 years. And he doubted the Indians were the First Civilization anyway.

"There's no evidence for it," he said growing a little confused at their line of inquiry. "We know the first humans evolved in Africa and traveled out through land bridges. The first Americans came through a land bridge connecting Asia and Alaska during the last ice age. That ended around 11,500 years ago. It's likely this was when the first humans came to North America. They wouldn't have had any other way. But it's possible they came over as early as 25,000 years ago when the last ice age began, though unlikely. I can recommend some further reading if you're interested."

"Sure," Peter said. The professor wrote a few book titles and author's on a slip of paper and handed it to Piper. "Thank you."

"What paper are you writing this article for?" The professor asked.

"Just a small local paper," Piper said. "Out of California."

"And you came all this way to ask me questions?" He asked. "You could have just called."

"We were in the area anyway," Piper answered. "Visiting some friends."

"Oh," he said. "It's odd. I had a gentleman in here last week asking these very same questions. He was also writing an article. For a magazine."

"I guess it's a really interesting topic," Peter said laughing a little nervously. Piper had made sure to remind Peter they had to be careful with how much information they gave. They weren't sure if any of these people were just normal people or not. It could have been William's questioning that set off alarms for the Templars and got him killed. They didn't want to set off those same alarms.

"Well, we don't want to keep you any further," Piper said. "I'm sure you're a very busy man. Thank you for the information."

"You're welcome," the professor said smiling. He stood to shake their hands as they stood to leave. He seemed satisfied with Peter's explanation. He wished them luck and they made their way back out onto the sidewalk. Campus was bustling with students now getting to classes or heading to the library. Several had cups of coffee with them and some quick, portable meal. Most of them chatted with each other in small groups while some others walked while reading. No one paid Piper and Peter much attention at all.

"Was that helpful to you?" Peter asked quietly not wanting the wrong person to overhear them.

"Only in that we now know William was here," Piper said. "And that even scholars don't know a thing about the First Civilization."

"So now we talk to the realtors?" Peter asked.

"Hopefully we can pick up a trail," Piper agreed.

* * *

Once Micky fell back asleep, Rose went into the bathroom. Mike could tell she was upset, so he followed her once he put the needle and vial away. He looked back at Ginny for just a moment to make sure she was ok. Ginny laid down next to Micky and rested her head against his chest. Mike knew she'd be able to hear his heartbeat and could monitor him. Mike was a little worried about how quickly Micky had fallen asleep after the dose of morphine. He knew Micky's body was going through a lot and sleep was a good thing though. Micky was tired and maybe now that he wasn't experiencing as much pain, he could actually get some decent rest. When he walked into the bathroom, Rose was leaning over the sink.

"You ok?" Mike asked closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry," Rose said. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

"You're stressed," Mike said. "It's completely understandable. We're all stressed."

"I...I...God, I'm an idiot," Rose said slamming her fists into the counter.

"No, you're not," Mike said pulling her away from the sink so she wouldn't hurt herself.

"I liked her!" Rose said exasperated. "When we were kids, I actually liked her! I thought she was a good person! I saw right through Robert, but I liked Meg!"

"They both fooled each and every one of us, save for you," Mike said. "You were the only one to see Robert for who he was. That means you are not an idiot. So you didn't see Meg for what she was; but that's not a big deal. For what it's worth, I don't think she's as bad as the others. I think she legitimately cares about us."

"She's a Templar," Rose said sinking to the ground. "They only care about themselves."

"Not saying she still wouldn't sell us out to help her," Mike said sitting down next to her. "But she'll feel bad about it."

"Gee, that makes me feel so much better," Rose laughed.

"Joking aside, I think she might be a key to getting out of here," Mike said. "We might be able to use her."

"How?" Rose asked.

"I'm not sure yet, but I'll think of something," Mike said.

"Ever the optimist," Rose said.

"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Mike asked with a slight laugh.

"No," Rose smiled. "I just don't understand how you are doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Holding yourself together. Not falling apart."

"I don't know exactly. But a part of me knows I have to. Ginny's pregnant and is going to crack under that pressure. Micky can't handle it and you…"

"I'm just weak."

"You're scared. Every time that door opens, you're gripped with fear. And not just for what is gonna happen to Micky, but what is gonna happen to you. You went through hell with him before and you're terrified still. And there's nothing wrong with that. But that's why it's harder for you to stay so composed and have hope. You aren't weak. You're scared. And I don't blame you for that. You're still having nightmares."

"Only now I can't comfort myself by sleeping with a gun under my pillow.

"Not exactly sure that was a healthy way of dealing with it either."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Let me help you."

"More talking?"

"Not just talking. You said those few nights we spent together, you felt safe." Mike smiled at her. A few times he'd snuck off to meet with her, they'd fallen asleep together. He'd somehow always managed to make it home before either Micky, Peter or Davy had realized he'd never come home the night before. She had told him that those nights were the safest she'd felt in awhile.

"I do feel safer when you hold me. Even now. It helps."

"Good." Mike leaned over and kissed her. He felt some of her tension begin to melt away. When he pulled away slightly, she smiled.

"See, that helps. Do it again."

"Gladly." Mike leaned in and kissed her again; this time with more passion. He felt and heard her moan into him as even more tension was released. Her muscles softened as her lips parted. He couldn't help the quick sensation that ran through his body. That tingle he felt whenever he kissed her. The one that ran down to his groin and made him feel warm. He knew this wasn't the right time or place for that, but his body reacted to the pleasure he felt. The first time in months. It made even him relax.

Rose pushed him back toward the wall and moved so she was then straddling him. He knew where this was leading. She pulled away from him before he could push her away and pulled her shirt off over her head. He lost himself momentarily when he stared at her breasts. She was beautiful and he couldn't help himself. He reached for her and cupped her in his hand eliciting another moan from her. Then he caught himself.

"Rose-" he started carefully not wanting to hurt her.

"It's ok," she said sensing his reluctance. "I've never felt more safe then when I'm with you. And I mean really with you. It's my body. I do what I want and who I want."

"I get that," Mike said as she unzipped his pants and began to wiggle them off. He wasn't really fighting her off, but he knew they couldn't do this. But he really wanted to at the same time. "It's just, we-"

"Don't think," Rose said cutting him off when she pulled him out of his underwear and grasped him. "Just feel." She leaned down and kissed him, deeply and passionately. He did. He felt his entire body surge with sensation. He hadn't even noticed she'd taken the rest of her clothes off and was positioning herself properly. He just felt. Felt happy, secure, and in love. She sank onto him slowly and they both trembled at the sensation. She continued to kiss him as she slowly rocked her hips against his. Her touch sent shivers down his spine and filled him with warmth. He didn't want to stop this. He wanted to make love to her. To show her what love really meant. How it was supposed to feel for both of them. How it felt to be truly in love. To have two people be in such perfect harmony. But he couldn't.

"Rose, no," Mike said pushing her off him. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, but we can't. It's not because I don't want to or don't love you or anything like that, it's just...we can't. Ginny is already pregnant. We have no way of taking precautions against you getting pregnant. And if you do, we have no idea what Robert will do to you or the baby. We don't even know what he's going to do to Ginny's baby. I love you. I love you so much. But we can't take the chance of another pregnancy. Please don't be mad at me."

"How can I be mad," Rose said smiling. "You love me enough to say no. I can't be mad at that."

"I do love you," Mike said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Rose said moving to put her clothes back on.

"Wait," Mike said quickly. "Just because we can't have sex in the strictest sense, doesn't mean we can't still destress." Rose smiled and dropped her clothes again before leaning over to kiss him again. Mike moved his hands over her body, feeling her curves. When he slipped his fingers between her legs, she gasped and arched her back, pushing herself onto him. Mike moved to kiss her neck as he slipped his fingers inside her. She moaned his name in his ear, urging him on. He felt her wrap her own hands around him and begin to play with him. His stomach lurched a little and he let a soft groan escape his lips. She was breathing heavily now as he moved down to take her breast between his lips. She arched into him even further as he worked her harder, faster. She quickened the pace with him, urging him on as much as he urged him. He whispered her name over and over as he felt the tightness in his stomach increase. She moaned his name.

It didn't take long for either of them to release their stresses. Her body trembled and her voice quivered. His own body quaked and he felt weak. His muscles and energy were spent. Rose relaxed against him and kissed him before resting her head on his shoulder.

"I love you, Rose," Mike whispered softly.

"I love you, too, Mike," she answered.


	28. Grief and Memories

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. Still not feeling great. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 28: Grief and Memories

Davy woke up late in the morning. He hadn't slept very well the night before consoling Willow. When he finally had fallen asleep, it had been around 4 am. When he woke, Willow wasn't there. He wasn't sure where she'd gone, so he went into the kitchen to make coffee, figuring she would be there. He got a little worried when she wasn't, but then he heard sounds coming from the basement. Daryl had given them a tour the night before after dinner and had shown them the basement he converted into a gym so he could train.

Davy made his way down to the basement and found Willow. She was wearing shorts and a tank top and was beating the tar out of a practice dummy. The floor was covered with blue mats to cushion a fall and there were several practice dummies. They were in the shape of a man with only a torso and a head. There was a rack of weights against one wall and a treadmill against another. The third wall across from the entrance was lined with swords, guns and knives. Davy watched Willow for a moment and admired how much grace she had despite the anger etched on her face. With one final loud grunt, she hit the dummy so hard, it snapped off it's pedestal and crashed to the ground.

"Well, I guess he's dead," Davy said.

"Guess I was a little hard on him," Willow said taking a bottled water and drinking it.

"I think that's understandable," Davy said. "You're angry. Rightfully so."

"I am," Willow said. "I'm pissed they killed my father, but I'm also pissed that I'm not doing anything about it."

"You need time to grieve," Davy said.

"That's useless," Willow said sitting on a bench.

"No, it's not," Davy said sitting next to her. "You would be useless if you went out and started fighting everyone while in a grieving state. You'd get yourself killed cause you wouldn't be up to par. Instead you're taking the time you need to get your head back. When I was a kid, my parents were killed in a car crash. The other guy was drunk and barely hurt. My grandfather was really angry, but he didn't want me to be. He taught me to mourn them, but I needed to keep going with my life. When I grew up, I missed them every day, but I wasn't all that angry. Not until a bunch of my classmates started going out to drink at night and drive home. But I took that anger and did something. I got pictures of my parents and of the wreckage of their car and posted them all over school to give a face to drinking and driving."

"Did it work?" Willow asked.

"Yes," Davy said. "They still drank, but they made sure they had designated drivers."

"You did something with your anger," Willow said.

"It didn't happen right away," Davy said. "I grieved first. I wouldn't have been as productive if I hadn't properly grieved. I probably would have just yelled at them or something. You are grieving, too. You have to grieve."

"But I want to make sure he didn't die in vain," Willow said.

"He wouldn't want you to rush this," Davy said.

"I can still be useful," Willow said finally smiling. "I may not be able to face the world and talk to the people who saw them last without breaking down, but I can finish training you."

"Willow-" Davy started but she cut him off.

"No, I'm ok," Willow said. "I swear. I need to feel useful. When we do find your friends, you're gonna need to be ready to take the Templars on. Otherwise you'll die. And I don't want another death to grieve over. I need to make sure you're ready."

"Ok," Davy said returning her smile.

"Just know it's not going to be easy," Willow said.

"It wasn't easy before?" Davy laughed.

"It's going to get a lot harder," Willow said. "We're one man down. I need to really push you this time. Can you handle that?"

"I need to save my friends," Davy said sternly. "As long as you don't kill me."

"I won't kill you," Willow laughed. It was good to see her laugh again. Channeling her grief and anger into training him to take on evil forces might be what she needed. And he needed to save his friends. "But it will hurt a lot."

* * *

Micky felt a pull at the back of his head. For a second, he was confused and didn't know where he was or what was going on, but then it came back and he opened his eyes. He was still naked under the sheet, but the pain he'd felt before had subsided. It was still there, but it was much more manageable. He could breath and he could feel the sheets scratching at his skin. Before it had felt like the sheets were made of glass and that a large elephant was laying on top of his whole body. He felt Ginny's head resting gently on his chest near his wounds. He didn't have to look at her to know she was clinging to him for fear of losing him. Micky moved slightly to try and get a look at Mike and Rose just to ensure they were ok. His movements alerted Ginny and she sat up to look at him.

"Don't move too fast," she said. Micky looked over to the next bed to see Mike and Rose sitting there looking at him. They seemed a little more relaxed than they had before. They smiled at him when they realized he was awake.

"Hey, Micky," Mike said softly. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah," Micky answered. "Much. Still in a little pain, but it's better. A lot better."

"Good," Rose said. "I was worried about that morphine."

"How long was I out?" Micky asked.

"All day," Ginny said. "Your body is dealing with a lot of stuff right now. You need the sleep."

"Yeah, I guess," Micky said. "Rose, when you were looking for Robert, did you look for Meg?"

"I did a little," Rose said. "Everything I was getting was suggesting that she was out of the country and I was more focused on Robert and Ginny. They were priorities."

"Of course," Micky said. "Did you get any information about what she was doing? Can we trust her?"

"I didn't hear much," Rose said. "I don't know if we can trust her or not myself."

"I think we can," Mike said. "She gave you morphine to help you. If she didn't care, she wouldn't have done that. If Robert finds out, he's gonna have a fit. She risked a lot to get you that."

"Then maybe we can use her to get out of here," Micky said.

"I agree that she can help," Mike said. "But she's not going to be able to let us escape. But for now, we can trust her and rely on her to keep bringing you medicine. Robert isn't done with you."

"I know," Micky sighed. "It's gonna get worse from here. I don't know how it can, but I know it will."

"We'll figure something out," Ginny said. "But we shouldn't trust her wholeheartedly. She's still a templar. They come before us. She'd kill us in a heartbeat if it meant saving her cause. She just might call it a justifiable sacrifice."

"Right," Micky said. "Can I get my clothes back now?"

"Yeah, sorry," Rose said as Mike walked to the bathroom to get Micky's clothes. "We didn't want to disturb you when they dried, so we just left you alone."

"That's fine," Micky said. Mike came back out of the bathroom rubbing his head with one hand and carrying Micky's clothes with the other.

"You ok?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, just another headache," Mike answered.

"It's been awhile since you went into your ancestor's memories," Ginny said taking the clothes from him. "You should probably try another session."

"I'm not sure now's such a good time for that," Rose said.

"Actually, I think now might be the best time for that," Micky said. "Robert knows he can't do more to me right now without risk of killing me, so we'll have privacy for awhile."

"It'll be ok, Rose," Mike said. "Ginny's right. This headache is only gonna get worse."

"Ok, but I want to put my pants on first," Micky said.

"Oh, right, sorry," Ginny said. It was clear she'd forgotten she was holding onto his pants. Micky knew he wouldn't be able to dress himself; he felt incredibly weak. Every movement felt labored. Rose and Mike turned away to afford him some privacy while Ginny helped him put his clothes on. Micky respected that Mike and Rose gave him the privacy, even though it was clear they'd seen him after his seizure.

"I think it's best if you leave the shirt off for now until your wounds heal," she said once his pants were on. "I need to change the bandages soon anyway."

"Ok," Micky said. He felt tired again. He wasn't sure why, since he'd slept most of the day already. Ginny grabbed a pillow off a nearby bed and put it between his head and the wall so he could sit up and lean against the wall in semi-comfort. The pillows weren't exactly all that great, but it was better than leaning on the hard, cold wall.

"I'll be right back," Ginny said before walking over to the next bed as Mike made himself as comfortable as he could.

"You sure about this?" Rose asked Mike sitting next to him.

"Yes, nothing happened to me last time," Mike assured her. "I'll be fine. If I don't, I'm gonna have a headache from hell and I won't be any good to any of you."

"Ok, remember, just relax," Ginny said. She talked to him quietly to ease him into the memory. After a few moments, Mike's body went limp and Ginny assured them that he was fine. Now they'd just wait for him to wake up and finish the memory. Rose curled up next to Mike, resting her head on his chest. Mike could see in her face she was just listening to his breathing and his heartbeat hoping there wouldn't be a change. Ginny came back over and sat next to Micky. She lifted a glass of water nearby and gave it to him.

* * *

Mike was in George's body again. This time he was sitting at a large wooden desk in a small room. The walls were wood and the only light coming through was a candlelit lantern. George was writing in a notebook with a quill. A knock sounded on the door and George looked up to see a petite, dark skinned woman enter. She bowed softly and smiled at him.

"Sorry to bother you, Sir, but there is a woman here to see you," she said. "She says her name is Samantha."

"Yes, of course," George smiled closing the book and standing up. "Send her in." The woman bowed out and returned a moment later with the woman George saved from the Templars a few days ago. The woman turned to Samantha and smiled. "Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you," Samantha said.

"And you, sir?" The woman asked.

"No, thank you," George said. "You may go."

"Interesting," Samantha said when the woman turned and left.

"What is?" George asked.

"Her," Samantha said. "I've seen many of her kind smile, but none that actually mean it. You take care of her."

"Why shouldn't I?" George asked.

"Because she's colored," Samantha said.

"I have no reason to judge her," George said. "I know many of my peers see her as a lesser being and treat her as such, but I see no reason for that. The word of God is clear. We are all His angels."

"Is she free?"

"Not quite. I wanted to pay for her freedom. An associate of mine near Havana liberated her from a slave ship. Ah Tabai took most of them to find them new homes and buy their freedom, but she refused. She had told us her previous owner was a man who used her like cattle. He would breed her and sell her children when they became old enough to work. She does not want her freedom until her freedom can be purchased for her children. I've tracked down most of them and paid for most of them to be freed, but a few still elude my grasp. But you did not come here to discuss my housekeeper."

"No. My brother told me what you wanted."

"Only to protect you. Not exploit you. I promise."

"How can I be sure of that?"

"I have no need to. Father Daniel told me your father was an Assassin. As was your husband?"

"Yes."

"So you know the Templars seek ancient artifacts to gain power. They would use you to find them. I have no need for them. I only wish to keep the Templars from finding them."

"The allure of Power corrupts every man."

"Only those who have it and wish to seek more."

"And how would you protect me from them?"

"It was my intention to take you as a student; keep you by my side."

"You assumed I was a man?"

"My apologies, but yes, I did. Stereotypes got the best of me."

"So you don't think a woman is any less powerful than a man?"

"Men have more strength of body, but I find a woman often has more strength of mind and will. Women endure more physical pain than man, I have seen numerous childbirths, and women are more cunning."

"We can have strength of body if we want to."

"Yes, but it is not very common."

"No, it isn't. It isn't considered ladylike to be strong. Stay in the kitchen and clean the house, that's a woman's job."

"In the opinions of some. But as I said, a woman can be much more cunning than a man. There have been numerous female Assassins."

"So my father told me. He taught me to be both an Assassin and a housewife. Said the choice was mine. My husband told me I could be both."

"But you aren't? I see no marks."

"I never took the initiation to brand the finger as you and the others did. I chose not to. I did not want to be an official Assassin. I saw what it did to my mother, my aunt, and grandmother. I wanted to raise a family in peace. I didn't want to subject any children I had to violence."

"I understand that."

"So what do you say now? Now that you know I am a woman?"

"I still would like to keep you close."

"For how long?"

"As long as it takes or as long as you feel necessary. I wouldn't want to force anything on you."

"Until you win the war."

"The war," George sighed sinking back into his chair. He spoke with a strained and tired voice now. "If I have learned one thing in this life, it is that the war between Templars and Assassins will never be won. It has been fought for centuries and will be fought for centuries more. As you said, Power corrupts and as long as there are men who seek power, there will be Templars. Men who are corrupted by Power. It is a part of life."

"I love Father Daniel. He has been like a brother to me. Accepted me as his own, even though I only married into his family. He has taken care of me, even after his brother's death. But he never wanted to be an Assassin. His brother was taken in by my family. They weren't born into the life as I was. Their parents were murdered by Templars simply for being in the wrong place and seeing something they shouldn't. My husband chose to make the world a better place through the work of the Assassin's while his brother chose to do so through the work of God. I can't ask Daniel to give up his choice to continue to protect me. I can't ask him to bring violence into his church because the Templars want me dead. But if I stay in his care, that is exactly what I will be doing. And I cannot live on my own with the way our society looks at a single woman. But you stand here offering to take me in for no reason. You don't know me and yet you want to protect me. I know that is what Assassins do, but I still can't help but feel cautious."

"I understand that caution. And I respect it. You do not have to agree to my help and if you do, you can stay as long as you wish. I promise you that."

"I believe you. I see the honesty in how you treat a woman whom the rest of society deems as subhuman. You free slaves instead of oppressing them. But how would you explain me to others? You can't use the pupil excuse now that I'm a woman."

"No, I can't."

"You can claim I am a relative seeking a new home and a fresh start after the death of her husband while expecting her first child."

"Child? Are you with child? I thought your husband died a year ago."

"He did." Samantha was now speaking with a certain sadness. "The child is not his. I do not know whose it is and I have not told Daniel. A few months ago the Templars did find me and took me. I now know all too well what lengths they'll go to in order to get what they want."

"I am so sorry. Do you know who they are?"

"They are dead. I killed them and escaped. There was one opening when one of them was dumb enough to leave a knife close enough to me to reach. There were only two of them. I was able to get the drop on them due to surprise and my father's teachings."

"Impressive."

"I don't want Daniel to find out. He'd be devastated."

"And how will you explain a child to him?"

"I haven't figured that out yet."

"Very well. Shall we go and collect your things?"

"I'm afraid I travel lightly and I've already what little I own with me." Samantha walked out for a moment to retrieve a small bag. George smiled. She must have already made up her mind before even speaking to him.

"I see. Well, I can supply you with anything else you need."


	29. Training and Bunnies

Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to htfrjolenz for inspiring me to write it.

Chapter 29: Training and Bunnies

Davy swung the training sword with all his might. He and Willow had been training in the basement for several hours now. He felt dizzy and weak, but he pushed through it. He couldn't stop now. He couldn't give up now. He had to keep going. He had to get better. For Micky and Mike. For Ginny and Rose. When it was time for him to go up against Robert to free his friends, he had to be ready. There was no other option. His sword connected with Willow's and the metal clanged. Davy pushed against her, but she didn't lose her footing. Instead she dropped to the ground and kicked his leg. He fell to the ground and hit his head. His vision blurred for a few seconds, but he ignored that, too.

"You weren't on guard, Davy," Willow said out of breath.

"Sorry," Davy answered. "I'll get better."

"Do you need a break?" Willow asked. "You hit your head. Again."

"No," Davy said getting up. It was the fourth time he'd hit his head. Two of those were from Willow's practice sword when he failed to block her. They were dulled, not sharp, and not as heavy as a normal sword, so it wouldn't do as much damage. "Let's go again. I can get this. Eventually. Somehow."

"You need practice, experience, and intuition."

"Right, so the practice I get here. The experience part, I won't get until it's time to fight and I don't know if I have as much intuition as you. You guys were born into this and doing this your whole lives."

"The intuition comes with practice. And there's a certain amount of intuition innate in everyone."

"You sure about that?"

"Yes. You use intuition to assess every situation. Before a fight, you need to assess your foe and use your intuition in the fight."

"Assess your foe?"

"People fight in different ways. Some prefer agility, others prefer brute force. What would you do against an agile foe?"

"Run away."

"Davy, seriously. Close your eyes and put yourself there. A man comes at you fast. What do you do?"

"Ok." Davy closed his eyes and imagined a large man rushing at him quickly. His first instinct really was to run away, but he pushed past that. He'd have to change his fight or flight response. He'd have to fight. He thought for a few moments, watching a man run at him in his head. "Knock him off balance."

"Right. An agile fighter doesn't have firm footing. His weakness is his footing. You go for the legs. Knock him off guard. I'm gonna run at you. Knock me over."

"Ok." Davy stood firmly while Willow backed away. When she rushed him, he dropped to the ground and moved to kick out her legs, but he stopped just before his foot contacted her knee. The sudden stop caused him to fall over as Willow pushed him over. "Davy, you had me! Why didn't you take me out!?"

"I couldn't hurt you. If I kicked out your knee, I would have really hurt you."

"Ok. Fine. Now, what about a brute attacker. He uses his force to come at you. All his strength. What do you do?"

"Um. Not run away, right? Use his strength against him. But I'm not sure how."

"You have to be agile. A foe is coming at you with his full strength. His footing is always firm. But if you duck out of the way when he uses all his force to swing at you, he'll fall over."

"Ok, so we practice that?"

"Later. Take a break. Drink water."

"I'm fine."

"Water. Now." Willow was forceful as she walked over and grabbed a water bottle. When she tossed it at Davy, he tried to catch it, but couldn't. He quickly bent over to pick it back up. Willow smiled at him as she drank from her own water bottle. When he stood back up to drink, he felt dizzy. Knowing he was probably getting dehydrated and couldn't stop now, he quickly drank the bottle before throwing it in the trash with all the others he'd drank that day. His arms felt weak and shaky, but he ignored it. He had to keep going. He didn't notice Willow coming up behind him to blindfold him.

"What's this?" Davy asked as she put a soft tennis ball in his hand.

"You need to learn how to focus. On everything around you. I want you to take this ball, count to ten and throw it at me. See if you can hit my head."

"Ok. One. Two…" Davy continued counting but listened carefully. He knew what she wanted from him. Her feet shuffled and he focused. When he counted to ten, he threw the ball off to his left about 45 degrees.

"Very good, Davy. That was really close. Why didn't you throw the ball behind you?"

"I knew you wanted me to listen to where you were. I didn't think you were going to stay in the same place. You want me to listen."

"Very good. Try again. Count to ten." They practiced this for another hour before he finally heard the ball make contact with a body.

"I got you this time!" Davy said excitedly.

"You did," Willow answered. "You got my arm. Not my face, but that's ok. We'll do this again tomorrow. It's getting late." Willow came over and took the blindfold off. Davy got really dizzy and almost fell over. He had to take a step back to keep himself from falling. "Davy, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"I'm fine." Davy's nose suddenly felt wet and cold.

"God, Davy. We need to get you to Piper."

"I'm fine; she's not here."

"Upstairs." Willow wrapped her arm around Davy and helped him up the stairs. For a moment he thought about pushing her off, but he realized soon his legs were weak, too. He couldn't really support himself very much anymore. It actually became clear to him he wasn't fine. Something was wrong. He felt hot, dizzy, tired, and weak. And now his nose was bleeding. When they got upstairs and into the kitchen, Piper and Peter were just walking in the door.

"Shit, what happened!?" Piper asked dropping a small messenger bag on the counter and quickly rushing over to them. Willow helped Davy into a stool next to the island counter.

"We were training," Willow said. "I think I pushed him too hard."

"I'll be ok," Davy said. "Just need rest."

"Why is his nose bleeding?" Peter asked, terror gripping his voice.

"I don't know yet," Piper said. She was in front of Davy now, looking into his eyes. "Davy, can you follow my finger?"

"Sure," Davy answered. She held a finger up in front of his face and moved it to the left first, then up, right and down. His head was pounding now.

"I broke him," Willow said.

"You didn't break him," Piper said.

"I'll be fine," Davy said. "I just need to rest."

"What's he saying?" Peter asked. The question made Davy freeze.

"Davy, your speech is slurred," Piper said before Davy could react. "Your reactions are slow, but they're still functioning. Squeeze my fingers." She put her hands out with all but two fingers on each hand curled into her fist. He grabbed each of the two fingers and squeezed as hard as he could. The effort made his head hurt more.

"What's that mean?" Willow asked.

"Did he get hit in the head?" Piper asked.

"A few times," Willow answered.

"How much water has he had to drink?" Piper asked.

"I'm not stupid," Willow said. "I made sure he drank a lot of water today. He had at least 8 bottles."

"But you were training him all day?" Piper asked.

"Yes, we need him," Willow said. "We're down a man with my father's death and we need him if we're going to make it right and find his friends. I told him we'd stop when he needed to! I told him not to push himself too hard!"

"Davy's got an issue with stubbornness," Peter said. "He doesn't always know what his limit is when his friends need him. He's gone up against Chinese mobsters to save me and Micky."

"Guys, it's nothing," Davy said. "I'm probably just really dehydrated. I just need rest and water." Davy reached for a bottle of water sitting on the island, but he fell instead. Piper reached out to stop him from falling, but she was a little late. Before he blacked out, he felt his head make contact with the edge of the counter. The last thing he heard was the three of them calling out his name.

* * *

Mike had woken up a few hours ago and told Rose, Micky and Ginny what he'd seen. It was getting late now and they'd just eaten a dinner of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The bread was getting stale and they had used the last of it. Robert usually made sure they at least had food, even though it was generally the same thing. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Mike was really getting tired of the food and he had to force himself to eat. When he tried, he often felt like throwing up. Rose was lying down next to Mike and Ginny was cleaning a bit of sweat off Micky's forehead. Micky was now looking at his feet and giggle a little.

"What's so funny, Micky?" Rose asked.

"The bunnies," Micky answered.

"What bunnies?" Mike asked.

"They're dancing around my feet," Micky said.

"He's hallucinating again," Rose said quietly to Mike.

"They're cute," Micky said. "They're tickling my feet. They're purple and fuzzy."

"Purple?" Mike asked laughing a little. Micky seemed like he was high, but he wasn't in pain and Micky seemed to be enjoying himself so Mike wasn't concerned. Even a little bit of enjoyment for Micky was good for now.

"Purple and fuzzy," Micky said laughing.

"Ok, Micky," Rose said. There was no harm in letting this hallucination entertain Micky. Until Micky's face contorted in pain and he started screaming. Mike and Rose scrambled over to Micky to try and help him.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.

"Get them off!" Micky cried. "They're eating me!"

"What are?" Rose asked. "The bunnies?"

"Get them off!" Micky screamed.

"The morphine must have worn off," Ginny said.

"We have more morphine," Mike said. "We should get him another dose."

"Yes," Rose said. Mike grabbed the bottle of morphine they'd hidden in the bathroom and came back over to Micky. Rose grabbed Micky's arm and stretched it out so they could put in the needle.

"What is that?" Micky asked when he saw the needle and jerked away. "Get that away from me!"

"Micky, this is medicine," Mike said.

"It'll make the bunnies go away," Rose added. "I promise."

"Make them stop?" Micky groaned.

"Let us give you the medicine," Ginny said softly caressing his cheek. "They'll stop." Micky nodded and held his arm out. Mike found a vein and injected the morphine into him. Ginny whispered in Micky's ear softly as Micky started to calm down.

"See?" Rose asked. "No more bunnies, right?" Micky nodded and began to relax even more.

"Why don't you get some sleep," Ginny said. "It's late."

"You still love me, right?" Micky said. He sounded very drowsy and his speech was slightly slurred.

"Of course I do, stupid," Ginny laughed. "Don't be ridiculous. I will always love you."

"Even though I left you?" Micky asked.

"You didn't leave me," Ginny answered.

"This is all my fault," Micky said.

"No, it's not," Ginny said. "You couldn't have known anything was wrong. I don't blame you for anything. I love you and I always will." She leaned over and kissed him. When she pulled away, Micky was smiling.

"That felt good," Micky said.

"I love you, Micky," Ginny said. "Now go to sleep, ok? You'll feel better. I promise."

"You won't leave me?" Micky asked.

"I'm not going anywhere," Ginny answered. Mike got up while Ginny ran her fingers through Micky's hair trying to get him to relax enough to go to sleep. He walked over to the bathroom and put the needle and morphine back in it's hiding spot. Rose walked up behind him.

"I don't get it," Mike said quietly. "An hour ago he was sane."

"The morphine was dulling the pain," Rose said. "It must have helped draw him back into reality, too. When the morphine wore off and the pain came back, his mind made up an illusion to explain it."

"Purple fuzzy bunnies, though?" Mike asked. "That seems really random."

"Not as random as you'd think," Rose said. "When he was four, there were a lot of rabbits running loose not too far from the house. You know how quickly they procreate. And you know how much Micky loves animals. Anyway, he would sneak out at night to go see them. Robert caught him and told him if he kept doing it, the rabbits would eat his face off."

"That's a horrible thing to tell a child!" Mike balked.

"Yeah, well, that was Robert," Rose said. "Mom found out when he had nightmares and told him that Robert was teasing him. Robert slept on the couch for like a week."

"So the bunnies stuck in his head," Mike said.

"The pain started coming back as a tickle, so he saw them dancing around his feet," Ginny said walking up to them. "Then it got worse."

"Why purple?" Mike asked.

"It's my favorite color," Ginny answered. "His mind is mixing memories from his childhood and memories about me. He's feeling guilty about all this still."

"I could tell," Mike said. "He never really got over you. He loves you more than anything. He did a few unhealthy things to try and fill the void left behind when you died."

"Robert's trying to convince him this is his fault," Rose said. "It'll hurt him more than anything else Robert can ever do to him."

"We can't let him convince Micky of that," Mike said.

"No, we can't," Ginny said. "It's getting really late though. We should all get some sleep."

"You two sleep," Mike said. "I'll stay up a bit. Keep an eye on Micky."

"You sure?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Mike said. "Not very tired after that little memory trip."

"Ok," Rose said and kissed Mike. Mike enjoyed the kiss and felt that familiar tingle sweep through his body. Mike smiled as Rose and Ginny walked over to their beds. Ginny curled up against Micky and Rose curled up in Mike's bed. Mike walked over and sat next to her, but leaned against the wall. Rose grasped his hand and squeezed. She was holding him for comfort. Micky was already asleep and it didn't take long for the girls to fall asleep. Mike's head was filled with thoughts. He wasn't sure what any of the memories of George meant and he was worried about Micky blaming himself for their capture. He didn't know what he was gonna do, but knew he'd have to figure out something soon.


	30. Concussed

Author's Note: So I took a really long break with this. Sorry. I had pretty much everyone around me, save for a few, abandon me or betray me. But I'm in a better place now. So when I got a review asking me to keep going, I decided I would.  
I really don't know why, but I noticed as I was re-reading this I said "always putting yourself above others" multiple times in this story. That's wrong; total opposite of what I meant. It's supposed to be "always sacrificing yourself for others" or "always putting others before yourself." Really sorry guys. Not to mention all the other typos and errors I've seen upon re-read…

Chapter 30: Concussed

"Davy!" Peter yelled. He watched in what seemed like slow motion as Davy reached for a glass of water and somehow fell over, slamming his head into the edge of the counter. Piper reached out to keep him from falling, but she was just a bit too slow. She caught him only as his head hit the counter. She carefully lowered him to the floor as Peter and Willow both rushed over to them. Davy wasn't moving anymore and his eyes were closed.

"Oh God," Willow said.

"He's not moving," Peter panicked. Piper placed her hand on the back of Davy's head. When she pulled away slightly, blood covered her hand. "Why isn't he moving?"

"Peter, go get my medical bag now," Piper said. Peter nodded and dashed off to the bedroom to grab her medical bag. As he left he heard her tell Willow to call Daryl at the morgue. He couldn't remember where she put her bag for a second, but then he remembered it was in the top dresser drawer. He opened the drawer and grabbed the bag quickly before darting back to Davy. When he got back into the kitchen, Piper was on the phone with Daryl.

"I got it," Peter announced staring at Davy lying still on the floor. He looked very pale now. Fear gripped Peter and he barely heard anything else.

"Daryl, I understand that you work in a morgue," Piper was saying, though her voice sounded distant. "But we need you to come home with those meds and an IV. Now. I don't care how."

"What can I do?" Willow asked when Piper hung up. She sounded just as worried as Peter felt.

"Go get a razor and some scissors," Piper said.

"A razor?" Peter asked suddenly confused.

"Peter, I need you to help me carry him into the other room," Piper said ignoring him. Peter nodded, but couldn't really move. He knew he needed to, but he was terrified for his friend. "Peter, honey, this is what I've been teaching you. I need you to put those skills into action now. You're gonna need to focus and remain calm. Just as if we were to rescue Micky and have to do this for him, ok?"

"Right," Peter said. She'd spent the last two months teaching him how to handle emergency first aid in the field. He hadn't had a chance to really put any of it to use, but now he could practice. And he could save his friend's life. Peter took a deep breath and then sprang into action. He lifted Davy up and carried him into the other room, setting him gently on the bed.

"Ok, wash out and disinfect the wound," Piper instructed. Peter nodded and pulled a bottle of hydrogen peroxide out of her medical bag and a cloth. He poured a little hydrogen peroxide out over the wound and held the cloth under his head. The wound fizzed and bubbled a little but not much. Peter was a little relieved at this; he knew that meant the wound was relatively clean and the chance of infection was low. When the wound stopped fizzing, Peter dried the area so that Piper could treat it. Some part of him knew what the razor was for. When he looked up, his suspicions were confirmed. He was so focused on cleaning the wound, he hadn't noticed Piper disinfecting a needle and razor Willow had brought in. Piper moved Davy's hair out of the way and shaved a small part of his head around the wound. Peter's stomach flipped. Davy loved his hair and would no doubt be pissed they had to shave it. Hair grows back, Peter told himself. He'll be ok if he remembers that hair grows back. Just so long as he stayed alive. The wound itself wasn't very long, maybe only about an inch or so long, but it was deep. The edges of the wound were clean, not jagged, so it would heal better.

"Hold his head really still," Piper said. "He may wake up a little and if he does, he's gonna freak out and jerk. If he jerks, it'll make things that much worse. Hold tight. Willow, you get his legs." Peter and Willow nodded and held on tight. It took Piper some time to stitch the wound closed on Davy's head; the blood was still flowing and she had to stop periodically because she couldn't see. Peter took the cloth and dabbed the wound clean again whenever this happened. Peter cringed whenever she pushed the needle into Davy's skin. With each pass, she tied the thread in a knot and pulled. When she finally tied the last knot, she told Peter to cut the thread. Peter grabbed the scissors and cut close to the injury as she'd taught him a month ago. Peter reached into the medical bag and grabbed a bandage and tape. He carefully covered the wound with the bandage as Piper cleaned up the thread and cloths.

"Is he gonna be ok now?" Willow asked her.

"We need to get fluids in him and medication," Piper answered.

"What happened to him?" Willow asked.

"He's severely dehydrated," Piper answered.

"I made sure he drank plenty of water," Willow said.

"You probably did, but his body is not used to this kind of strenuous activity," Piper said sternly. "You trained him all day. You and I are used to that, but he's not. He's never done anything close to this before. His body couldn't take it and his body overheated. Mix with that the fact that he hit his head a few times, he had a concussion. That's what the slurred speech was and eventually disorientation that caused him to fall and hit his head."

"I told him-" Willow started, but Piper cut her off.

"You should have made him stop, Willow," Piper said. "You could have killed him. You're lucky he didn't have a stroke. That was the first thing I tested for. This is partially on him for not stopping, but you should have known better. You're grieving the loss of your father, I get it, I really do, but this isn't going to bring him back. No matter how much you push Davy, he's not gonna be as good as your father. He's never going to be as good as your father. He'll never replace your father."

"Don't you think you're being a little harsh?" Peter asked.

"The world is a harsh place," Piper said before leaving the room.

"I'm sorry," Peter said to Willow. "Davy's stubborn. He should have stopped sooner."

"No, she's right," Willow said. "I should have known Davy couldn't handle that much physical stress. I saw it in his face and I ignored it just as much as he did."

"Doesn't mean we should blame either of you," Peter said. "It was an accident."

"Doesn't mean I couldn't have prevented this," Willow said. Peter didn't know what else to say. He didn't like the blame game that was being played, but he knew that if it were him that had been in that basement all day with Davy, he'd blame himself just as much as Willow was. Peter decided to follow Piper and talk to her. He knew Piper wasn't really mad at Willow, but he wanted to make sure. Piper had gone back into the kitchen to clean up. Peter had just rounded the corner when he saw Daryl and Piper standing in the kitchen. It was clear that Daryl had just walked in. He was setting a bag down on the counter.

"You ok?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah," Piper said. Peter could tell she was shaking a little. He knew he was standing in the shadows and that he was eavesdropping, but at this point he didn't care. Something was clearly wrong with Piper and he knew Piper wouldn't readily tell him, but he figured she'd tell Daryl. "He's in the other room."

"Piper, what's wrong?" Daryl asked.

"He could have died," Piper said. Even her voice was shaking. "I blew up at Willow. She trained him way too hard and now he's extremely dehydrated with head trauma. I shouldn't have blown up at her like that, but he could have died."

"But he didn't," Daryl said. "You were here to save him."

"Had I been even two minutes later…" Piper said. "If I wasn't here when he fell and ripped his head open…"

"Don't think about the what if's," Daryl said.

"We have to," Piper said. "We don't learn otherwise. This isn't fair. Three months ago, he'd never even heard of Templars and Assassins. Three months ago he was normal, happy, and carefree. We've dragged him into this and now we're going to get them both killed!"

"Them both?" Daryl asked. "You mean Peter."

"Peter's too shy," Piper sighed sitting down in a chair. "Davy's at least trying to learn how to fight, but Peter can't. It's not in him. Don't get me wrong, I don't want him to pick up a sword or gun and start using it, but damn it, how are we supposed to protect them AND save my cousins?"

"You need to calm down," Daryl said. "You need to remember that you aren't mad at Willow; you aren't mad at Davy; you aren't even mad at yourself. You're mad at Robert and the situation we're all in."

"I know," Piper said. "I feel useless wandering around asking questions."

"There's not much else we can do," Daryl said. "We need to find out as much as we can before we find your friends."

"We'd normally have the whole force of Assassins out there looking for them," Piper said crying a little. "But that son of a bitch made them distrust our whole family."

"We'll fix it," Daryl said moving to embrace her. "We'll get him and we'll get your family back." Peter couldn't help but feel a little jealous with how close the two of them seemed. They shared a lot more than Peter could ever hope to share with Piper. Daryl and Piper had a past and a special connection. The way he was holding her, embracing her to take the pain away, it was clear there was a special connection between the pair. Peter went back into the room with Davy and Willow. Daryl and Piper followed in without saying much of anything and started an IV in Davy's arm. Daryl put something else into the IV bag.

"What's that?" Peter asked.

"Medication to help reduce pain and swelling inside his head," Daryl answered.

"He's gonna be ok, though, right?" Peter asked. "With that medicine?"

"Not really sure, to be honest," Daryl said. "Without getting an image of his brain, there's no way to tell what kind of trauma was done. Piper, did you test neurological health?"

"I only got as far as testing for stroke symptoms," Piper said. "He had equal strength on both sides of his brain. His speech was slurred. His vision wasn't very impaired. I doubt there's much swelling, but we need to keep a really close eye on him."

* * *

Micky carefully opened his eyes several hours later. Visions of his nightmares floated through his head. To try and shake them, he focused on Ginny. Her hand lay softly against his chest and he could feel her chest rising and falling with each breath. It was a steady breath, not labored or pained. In his nightmares, her breathing was ragged and pained. He looked down at her to try and erase the images from his heads. All he'd seen when he closed his eyes was his own father pinning her to the ground and hurting her. Now he saw her pale face and beautiful red hair framing it. While he knew his father might hurt her again, right now she was safe. He focused on this moment, trying desperately to make the other images disappear.

"Micky," Mike said softly from the next bed. "You ok?"

"Yes," Micky answered softly, even though he wasn't sure he was. He could still feel pain in his legs and chest, but not what it was. He figured Mike had given him another dose of morphine that Meg had brought but he wasn't sure how long it would last. Rose was asleep against Mike as well, but Mike looked like he hadn't slept at all. His eyes looked almost sunken in.

"You were groaning a bit in your sleep," Mike said, again speaking softly so he wouldn't wake either of the girls.

"Sorry, did that keep you up?" Micky answered just as carefully.

"In a way. I'm worried about you."

"It was just nightmares."

"I'm sure. Your dad put some pretty bad thoughts in your head."

"Can we please stop calling him that?" Micky grew agitated at the words. From learning about the true nature of the man, he'd hated him and it bothered him to refer to him as his father, but now it seemed even worse. Each time someone said it, it felt like his inside were being put through a blender. Saying it now somehow made his father's words more real: that Micky and he were alike.

"Sorry, Micky."

"I'm not like him."

"Of course you're not. No one here thinks you are. He was trying to get under your skin. Nothing he said was true."

"I don't think that's exactly true." Micky sighed looking back down at Ginny. The words Robert had whispered in his ear reverberated in his head again.

"Of course it is," Mike said a little angrily and forgetting to keep his voice low. Ginny and Rose both stirred as he spoke. "You are nothing like him. Everyone has anger in them, but that doesn't mean you are like him. You had nothing to do with what he did to Ginny or Rose and you had absolutely no way to know it was even happening. And if you did, you would have done whatever it took to stop it, even if that meant dying."

"That's not what I mean," Micky said.

"What's going on?" Rose asked sitting up.

"Sorry we woke you," Mike answered as Ginny sat up, too. "Micky has this stupid notion that Robert was telling him the truth before."

"I don't mean that," Micky sighed when Ginny and Rose fixed him with a concerned look. "Of course I know all that stuff is rubbish, but what you didn't hear…I think that was true."

"You mean what he whispered in your ear?" Ginny asked. "What did he say?"

"I really would rather forget he even said it at all," Micky answered.

"Apparently you can't," Rose said getting up and walking over to sit on the end of the bed Micky was on. "Look, we're all in a bad place and dealing with loads of shit here, but we need to talk about what bothers us or it's gonna eat us up. It's gonna drive you crazy not knowing whether or not he was telling you the truth."

"Micky, whatever he said, you are nothing like him," Mike reiterated. "I promise you."

"It wasn't anything to do with that, but what he did to you both," Micky answered heavily looking at Rose and Ginny in turn.

"He wanted your head to be filled with thoughts of what he did to us when you went into your hallucinations," Ginny said. "That way you'd hallucinate him hurting us and maybe attack one of us."

"It worked," Micky said remembering how he choked Mike thinking him Robert.

"Micky," Rose pushed him. "You'll only know if he was telling the truth if you talk to us about it."

"He said that he wasn't the only one to hurt you," Micky said looking at Ginny and finally relented. He couldn't get the exact words out and what he did manage to say was broken. He turned to Rose and felt a tear slide down his face. "And that you didn't fight him; that you let him do it. If he told you to get on your knees, you would. He tried saying that meant you…you liked it, but I know that's bullshit."

"It is," Rose said half in anger, half in grief. "No, I didn't always fight him because he said he'd hurt you and mom. And I was scared. But in no way does it mean I liked it. I can't believe he would even try to pull that."

"He probably doesn't believe it himself," Ginny said. "He just wants to mess with Micky."

"What makes him think Micky would believe that load of shit?" Mike asked angrily.

"By mixing actual truths," Ginny said staring at her hands. "The other stuff he said was true. He wasn't the only one to hurt me. He let others hurt me, too. Including Darla. He got off on that the most, I think."

"Ginny, I'm so sorry," Micky said.

"It's not your fault," Ginny said looking at him again. "You have nothing to apologize for. None of this is your fault or anyone else's but his. He did this to us. There's nothing we could have done that would have made anything better. Sure if we go back knowing what we know now, maybe, but that's simply not possible so we can't even entertain those thoughts. We need to focus on what's happening now and what we can do now."

"That's the problem, though, isn't it?" Rose said. "There's nothing we can do now. We can't escape and we can't fight back."

"We fight back by not giving into him," Mike said. "We don't open that box."

"And we don't believe the crap he's trying to feed us about being anything like him," Ginny said putting a hand on Micky's leg. The movement sent a sharp pain through his leg and he wince in pain and jerked away reflexively before blacking out again.


	31. Farther Behind

Author's Note: Normally I write faster than this, but I've been busy with school and doctor's appointments galore. But here it is. Sorry for the delay.

Chapter 31: Farther Behind

Mike's heart stopped for a brief moment when he saw Micky's eyes roll up in the back of his head again. His whole body stiffened and contorted to form a ghastly position that looked as though his bones would snap any second.

"He's having another seizure," Ginny said, snapping into attention next to Micky. Rose's face went pale and Mike rushed over to try and help his friend.

"What do we do?" Mike asked.

"Wait it out and make sure he doesn't hurt himself," Ginny said.

"He's not breathing," Rose said. Mike looked at Micky's chest and realized it was just as still and stiff as the rest of his body. It all seemed like slow motion; he stared at Micky's chest for what seemed like minutes just waiting for it to move. When Micky's body did finally relax, Mike was sure the breathing would start again, but his chest remained still as the rest of his body relaxed back into the bed.

"Micky, start breathing," Mike pleaded in a panic.

"His airway might be blocked," Ginny said. "We need to get him on his side." Mike helped her roll Micky onto his side facing her. He watched as she opened his mouth and carefully put her fingers inside. Moments later, Micky sputtered and coughed. Vomit spilled out of his mouth and soaked the pillow next to him, but he gasped and started breathing again.

"Oh, thank God," Rose breathed.

"Micky, can you hear me?" Ginny asked carefully brushing his hair from his face. Micky nodded slightly; he was conscious again, but very weak.

"Just rest, Micky," Mike said as he moved to grab his own pillow. Ginny moved the soiled pillow from under Micky's head carefully as Mike replaced it with his own and Micky rolled back onto his back. Rose went to the bathroom to retrieve a small, damp cloth to clean his face. She was shaking a little when she handed the cloth to Ginny. Mike pulled her off to the side and held her close to him for a moment. He knew how terrified she felt.

"He can't keep this up," Rose said softly against his shoulder. "He can't keep doing this."

"I know, but you said there's nothing we can do about it," Mike said. "You said it yourself, with this ergot, we need to just let it run its course. There's no treatment we could offer."

"Robert could," Rose said. "Maybe. I don't know much about it."

"Robert's not going to help him," Mike said. "Robert did this to him."

"Robert doesn't want him to die!" Rose said pushing away from him angrily. "We tell Robert his plan is killing Micky and he could give Micky medication to save him."

"We aren't telling Robert anything," Ginny said walking over to them.

"He stopped breathing, Ginny," Rose said. "He wasn't breathing for a long time."

"He stopped breathing for less than 2 minutes," Ginny said.

"I don't care how long it was and how can you be so calm about this, anyway?!" Rose exclaimed.

"Because there's nothing we can do about it," Ginny answered shortly.

"We tell Robert!" Rose argued again.

"No," Ginny stated firmly. "Before he wouldn't have wanted Micky to die, but now I don't know if he cares. He thinks any one of us could open the box and he doesn't need all of us alive to do it. We show him we would do anything, including beg, to save Micky, he'll know that's our weakness and he'll use that against us. He'll start picking us off one by one."

"She has a point," Mike sighed grudgingly.

"Well, we have to do something!" Rose argued. "Can't you do something? You stopped that bullet from hurting him!"

"Don't you think I would have done something already if I could?!" Ginny answered angrily.

"Ok, that's enough," Mike said putting himself between the two of them. "This is not helping. None of this is helping. We're stuck in a bad position and we're turning on each other. We can't do that. We have to stick together; that's the only way we're gonna get out of this."

"Ginny, I'm sorry," Rose said softly after a moment, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I just couldn't handle seeing him like that."

"I know," Ginny said. "I shouldn't have snapped."

"Ok, we're ok now," Mike said before turning to look at Micky on the bed; he appeared to be sleeping again. "Is he actually gonna be ok after all that?"

"Yes," Ginny said. "He wasn't without oxygen long enough to do any real damage. He's sleeping now. We just need to make sure we keep an eye on him."

"And hope that shit wears off soon," Rose said walking back over to her brother's side. She sat on the end of the bed and turned to look at Ginny. "Thank you, Ginny."

"For what?" Ginny asked walking over to join her.

"I froze," Rose said. "You took action and I froze. You saved him."

"It's ok," Ginny said. "Happens to the best of us. We're all scared right now and we have no good options."

"No, we really don't," Rose agreed. "We have to put all our faith in Piper and the others. Still not sure how I feel about that."

"They'll get us out," Mike said though with each day his own conviction wavered more and more. "I faith in them."

* * *

Peter watched Piper tidy up in the kitchen. She looked like she was just trying to keep herself busy. She'd already cleaned Davy's blood up from the corner of the counter and floor and was now just wiping the counter. He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You ok?" Peter asked softly.

"Yes," Piper answered with a heavy sigh. "I just don't like any of this."

"I know, but Davy is gonna be ok," Peter said. "You said that yourself."

"Yes, he is," Piper said turning to him. "It's not just that though. It's just not fair that you both got dragged into this. Four months ago neither of you even so much as knew what an Assassin was and now you've been dragged into this war with us."

"Piper, we aren't here against our will," Peter said. "Sure we got dragged in at first, but Mike and Micky gave us a choice to walk away and we didn't. We stayed. After they got kidnapped, we could have walked away, but we didn't. Davy and I are all in on this with you guys. We are staying and that is our choice. You don't have to feel bad about it."

"Peter, I just…" she was about to respond, but they were interrupted by Daryl.

"Davy's waking up," Daryl said poking his head around the corner. Peter knew Davy was going to be ok, but hearing Davy was waking up so quickly after his injury still felt like a huge weight being lifted off Peter.

"I'll be there in a second," Piper said before turning back to Peter.

"He seems like a great guy," Peter said absentmindedly.

"Daryl?" Piper said a little surprised. "Yes, he is…"

"We should check on Davy," Peter said and walked toward Davy's room before Piper could really go any further. He hadn't even known why he'd said that. He felt a certain amount of jealousy for Daryl seeing how he was with Piper and he wasn't sure he really had a right to be. He and Piper hadn't talked about what their relationship was, after all. They'd really only shared the one kiss. The one, passionate kiss. He had no idea what Piper and Daryl shared.

"What…what happened?" Davy asked when Peter walked in the room. He had just opened his eyes and was about to sit up. Willow pushed Davy back down onto the bed to really keep him from sitting up and Piper walked in behind Peter. Daryl was already in the room checking Davy's pulse via his wrist.

"You pushed yourself too hard, Davy," Peter said. "You got dehydrated and passed out and hit your head on the counter giving yourself a concussion."

"Oh," Davy said reaching up to touch the bandage on his head as if double checking.

"How does your head feel?" Piper asked.

"It feels ok, I guess," Davy said. "It doesn't hurt."

"We've given you some medication to help with the pain, so don't worry about that so much," Daryl said moving to hold three fingers up in front of Davy's face. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three?" Davy said after a moment's hesitation.

"Good," Daryl said. "His pulse is still steady as well."

"I'm gonna be ok, right?" Davy asked.

"You're gonna be fine," Piper said. "Just don't push yourself like that anymore. You cannot train all day like that."

"You guys do," Davy muttered.

"We've also been doing it since we were teenagers," Daryl argued. "We trained our bodies to handle it and we started out slow. Which is what you need to do."

"So, what, you went to regular school during the day?" Davy quipped.

"Yes, we did," Piper said. "When we came home, we learned our history and spent about 2 hours a day training until we built up enough stamina to do more. It wasn't until we were at least 16 that we could go all day. Even then we rarely ever did."

"Your history?" Peter asked curious. He knew they had to have had their own history and that they knew secrets the history books he'd read could never have even imagined. He was curious as he'd always found history interesting.

"We studied philosophy and well known Assassins and Templars mostly," Willow said.

"Did you guys have textbooks for all that?" Peter asked.

"Not in the conventional sense," Piper said. "Mostly we had a mentor who acted as a teacher. Taught us the meaning of the Creed."

"Creed?" Davy asked.

"It's complicated," Piper said. "And now's not the time to get into it. You need to get your rest. You'll be in that bed awhile and the more rest you get, the quicker you will recover."

"Ok," Davy said. For a moment, Peter thought he might have argued with her, but had apparently decided they knew what was best. They had been doing this much longer than Davy and Peter.

"We'll leave you alone to rest now," Piper said motioning for the others to leave with her. Davy just smiled and closed his eyes as Peter reluctantly left. Davy wouldn't readily admit it, but he looked weak. Peter was just glad he wasn't also feeling pain.

"We'll keep an eye on him throughout the day and night over the next few weeks," Daryl said. But the worst is over."

"We should keep following those leads," Piper said looking at Peter.

"Shouldn't we stay here though?" Peter asked.

"Daryl and Willow can handle him," Piper said. "He's out of the woods now. We need to focus on finding Micky and the others."

"Ok," Peter said. When they'd returned from the little bit of recon they had done, they'd had to rush to take care of Davy. The only information they had so far was what that professor had told them and that most of the numbers Willow's father had were dead ends, food places or cab rentals. One was for a pawn shop that Piper had wanted to check out and the other an old bookstore. Peter wasn't sure what they had to do with Micky or his father, but Piper had said Robert would not be transporting 4 prisoners in a cab; the food was for William during his stay. The bookstore and pawn shop were out of place and could be nothing, but Piper wanted to make sure. Piper had said she'd wanted to shower and change before going to investigate, but they'd ended up rushing to take care of Davy.

"So do you want to go now?" Peter asked. It was just beginning to get dark out and he wasn't sure how long they'd be open.

"Give me about five minutes to jump in the shower," Piper sighed noticing she had a bit of a blood on her clothes. "You can catch them up on what we know while waiting." Peter nodded and sat on a barstool at the counter. His mind raced as he thought of Davy, Micky and Mike while briefly telling Daryl and Willow what they'd discovered, which hadn't been much. His heart sank a little with the realization they were actually farther away from finding his friends; Davy was sidelined and they had no clues to go on. They didn't even know if Robert was holding Mike and the others in Arizona. Fear flashed over him as he thought that his friends might well be on the other side of the country for all he knew. Or worse, in another country all together. If these Templars were as well-connected and rich as Piper had been telling them, it would have been all too easy to get a private plane where you could load four innocent victims and take them wherever in the world you wanted.


	32. The Hidden Chest

Author's Note: Longer chapter to kinda make up for being gone so long.

Chapter 32: The Hidden Chest

Mike sat on the bed several hours later after having hand washed the pillow Micky had soiled. Rose was finally asleep, her head resting gently against his chest. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. His head had begun to throb a little and he figured that was because his ancestor's memories were pulling at him again. Though he didn't think now was the best time to be diving back into that. He started drifting off to sleep himself when he heard someone walk into the bathroom. He opened his eyes, but he didn't need to see her to know it was Ginny. Rose was still curled against him and Micky wouldn't have been strong enough to really walk much. He carefully pulled himself away from Rose to check on Ginny when he saw she hadn't closed the door behind her. He made his way to the doorway and watched her for a moment. She lifted up her shirt and was looking at herself in the mirror. It was the first time Mike noticed her stomach bulged a little. Not much, but just enough for it to be noticeable. Ginny only just seemed to notice his reflection watching her in the mirror.

"He's gonna see this," Ginny said softly. "He's gonna see this and know. We aren't exactly being fed enough to fatten up."

"First of all, I wouldn't say you were fattening up," Mike answered quietly so as not to wake Rose. "Second, if you don't want to tell Micky just yet, you don't have to. Your clothes are baggy enough where he won't notice."

"Not Micky," Ginny said turning around to face him. "Robert. If he comes in here again and…you know…when he takes my clothes off, he'll see. He'll see it and he'll know."

"Ginny, I won't let that happen, I promise," Mike said moving to embrace her.

"I think we've already proven we don't have much of a choice there," Ginny said.

"I know, but Ginny, I promise you I will do everything to keep him from touching you like that again," Mike said. "We will figure something out."

"Like what?" she asked sounding defeated.

"I don't know…" Mike started, but a thought occurred to him. "Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Meg," Mike said. "She could prove to be very useful."

"Perhaps, but we can't even guarantee she'll even come back in here again."

"I think she will. I'm not sure how yet, but I think we can use her to our advantage. She seems to care about us and I really think she'll be able to come back. We can talk to her and try to convince her to keep Robert off our backs for a while. Hopefully enough time for Peter and Davy to find us."

"Hopefully," Ginny said holding her stomach protectively. He knew how scared she was. He felt it, too. The thought of what Robert might do to her child…it was too much for Mike. Pain tore through his head again, forcing him to wince and put his hand to his head in a vain attempt to ease the pain. He could almost feel Ginny's worried eyes on him now as she spoke. "Your head is hurting again."

"Yes, but it's not the right time," Mike said opening his eyes again. "We need to watch over Micky."

"Rose and I can do that," Ginny said. "If you're going to even have a chance of trying to keep Robert away from me, you need to be at your prime for that and you aren't when you're in pain."

"Are you sure you and Rose can take care of him by yourself?" Mike asked.

"Yes," Ginny answered. "It'll just be a few hours anyway at most. We can handle that."

"Ok, but not tonight," Mike said. "You need your sleep. We'll do it tomorrow. Just go lay down and sleep for a bit. If not for me, for the baby."

"Ok," Ginny said after a moment of contemplation. He led her back out into the main room where she curled up next to Micky and closed her eyes. He watched her for a moment before lying in bed with Rose. She didn't wake, but moved to wrap her arm around him. He closed his eyes and felt the dull ache pushing at the back of his head. He tried to ignore it to get at least a little sleep, but also had to battle the worry he felt over Micky. If Micky seized again, they'd need to be awake to help him. Ginny will feel it and wake up, Mike told himself trying to will himself to sleep at least a little. Even an hour would do him some good. But he couldn't. A few hours after lying down, he felt Rose start to tense and heard her make a strangled gasping sound. He opened his eyes and looked at her, worried. She was still sleeping; she was having another nightmare. Mike relaxed a little knowing she wasn't in any real danger, but was still angered knowing she had been hurt so badly. This wasn't the first nightmare she'd had with him next to her and he knew it wouldn't be her last. But he also knew what helped her get through it. Micky did it to help Ginny with her nightmares, too.

Mike carefully started running his fingers through her hair and sang to her. He chose a song she liked from when they grew up that he'd sometimes sing to her during his attempts to serenade her: Born to Love You. The words held meaning for him and he remembered falling in love with her all over again as he sang them. _My life was empty. So blue and forlorn. And then you put your hand in mine. And I knew why I was born._ She really had been one of the things that gave his life purpose. She had pulled him from that empty feeling after he'd lost his parents. He knew he was born to love her. As he sang to her, her body relaxed next to his and he knew her nightmare was changing. He hoped it was changing into a dream about him loving her, but as long as it wasn't Robert hurting her, he didn't care. As long as she felt safe. He pulled her tightly to him as he finished and she slept peacefully the rest of the night.

* * *

Peter sat next to Piper in silence. Night had just fallen, but the city lights drowned out the darkness. Music was coming out of the radio quietly and Peter was barely paying attention. They had just left the pawn shop and deemed it to have been a dead end. The owner had met with William, but didn't have what William had been looking for. Apparently, William had gotten information somewhere there was a chest with valuable books inside it. It seemed the bookstore was a more logical place to find that, so that's where they were driving. The little research they'd done had given them an owner's name and that the shop dealt in antique books; exactly what William thought might be in that chest he'd been searching for. What kind of books and why William might want them was unclear, but Peter hoped the bookstore would provide the answers.

"Daryl and I are just good friends, you know," Piper said suddenly startling Peter out of his thoughts.

"What?" Peter mumbled.

"Daryl and I are just good friends," Piper repeated. "Really good friends."

"Ok," Peter said. He knew why she was bringing this up. She'd read his thoughts well in the kitchen earlier. "You two share a lot. Doctors and Assassins."

"Yes, and we grew really close in med school because of that," Piper said. "But he's like a brother to me. I'm not really his type of romantic interest."

"You aren't?" Peter asked dumbfounded. How could anyone not love her? She was smart, beautiful, eloquent and so much more.

"Peter, he's gay," Piper said.

"What?" Peter asked a little startled at the revelation. "That's great. I mean…maybe not if you liked him…but…I should stop talking."

"It's ok," Piper said with a giggle. "So that is really what was bothering you? You thought there might be something between me and Daryl?"

"Maybe," Peter said.

"Daryl is sweet and a good man, but I don't really want to be with an Assassin," Piper said. "I told you, one of the things I like about you the most is that you're a pacifist. I've seen way too much loss with the Assassins. Women lose their husbands. Children lose their parents…" She trailed off a little, clearly thinking about her own losses and this newest one she and Willow faced.

"You want something different," Peter said.

"Yes," Piper said. "And you are everything I've been looking for. You have nothing to worry about. I like you, Peter. Present circumstances may prevent us from really developing a real relationship, but I'm not about to look for someone else."

"I like you, too," Peter said, suddenly at a loss for words again. He didn't need to come up with more to say, however, because they arrived at their destination. Piper parked in front of the antique bookstore. And they realized the front door had been damaged as though it had been kicked in after being locked.

"Peter, stay as quiet as you can and stay close to me," Piper said wrenching off her seat belt and grabbing her gun.

"Okay," Peter said as the pair exited the car. He knew Piper also had a few knives strapped in strategic locations under her clothes, but he didn't really have anything because he didn't want to. He didn't want to accidentally hurt anyone. He didn't want to purposely hurt anyone. But he feared he might be forced to soon. They carefully walked into the shop, Piper holding firmly onto her gun as she eased her way in. The shop was in disarray. Shelves were knocked over and books littered the floor. It broke his heart to see a few of the pages had come dislodged from their jackets. Books should be treated with respect, but he had the impression the people who did this didn't care about books or the owner of the shop. They were looking for something.

At first the room appeared vacant of anyone and he wondered if they were perhaps too late. After moving further toward the back of the store, however, he heard muffled voices from below him somewhere in the basement. He and Piper looked around for the door to get downstairs and that's when they noticed the man lying behind the sales counter. He was bleeding profusely from a wound to the chest. Piper motioned for Peter to help the man as she moved to a door behind him. Peter knelt down next to the man quickly and quietly.

"It's gonna be ok," Peter said quietly, though he wasn't sure about that. Peter was about to start trying to help save him, but the man suddenly grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him in close.

"You are an Assassin?" the man said weakly and hoarsely.

"I…I work with them," Peter said a little startled.

"You…you cannot let…let the Templars…take it," the man choked. He wasn't looking at Peter, but at a shelf next to him. Peter followed his gaze and saw a small metal key taped to the underside of the shelf. The key was on a chain with a small metal ring with a thick band dangling from the other end of the chain. Peter was about to take the key when he heard gunshots go off in the basement, 6 total. He froze in the silence fearing the worst. If Piper died, he'd be left alone to fend off the Templars in the basement. Then the man pulled Peter even closer and spoke again; weaker and hoarser this time. "Don't let them have it… under any circum… circumstances… keep it… safe…"

"Keep what safe?" Peter asked quietly, afraid to alert the Templars to his presence. But the man's grip had already loosened and now his arm fell limp at his side. Peter felt for a pulse on the man's wrist when he realized the man wasn't breathing anymore. There was nothing. Peter sighed and felt his heart sink. The man died when Peter was supposed to help him. He wanted to stay and mourn the man, but he was afraid if he didn't leave that he would be next. He didn't even allow himself to think about what might have happened to Piper. He grabbed the key from under the counter and stood, hoping to find wherever it went to keep the man's dying wish. When he spun around, a man was smiling at him and holding a gun.

"Give me that key, boy," the man said. The smile on his face was eerie. He had long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and blood from a deep cut on his arm. Peter was gripped with fear and didn't know what to do.

"I'm not giving you anything," Peter said with a courage he didn't know he had.

"I'm not going to ask you nicely," the man said and pulled the trigger. Peter ducked as quickly as he could, but knew he would never be able to dodge a bullet. He expected to feel the bullet rip through his flesh, but he felt nothing. He ducked behind a bookshelf, still gripping the key tightly in his hand and looked around for something he could use to at least subdue the man. At his feet was an old shield like knights bore in medieval times. He hated to damage an artifact like that, but he had to defend himself and the shield was heavy enough to knock someone out. Piper was still nowhere to be seen. He'd tie up the man and check the basement for her before looking for whatever this key opened. He figured if any other Templars survived, they'd have been standing with the man now hunting him.

In the quick moments it took him to formulate this plan, he heard the man curse his aim and fire another round. Wood splintered above Peter's head and in that instant he grabbed the shield. The sound was drowned out by the sound of shattering wood as the bullet lodged in a shelf in front of Peter. He then jumped up, holding the shield in front of him and charged at the man. With a rush of courage and rage that came up from deep inside him, mourning the loss of William, the man on the floor, and his friends, he roared and hit the man over the head with the shield as the man fired another shot. He wasn't strong, but he was strong enough to knock the man out. The bullet he'd fired bounced off the shield and embedded itself into the wall. Peter didn't think the shield would be strong enough for that, but was grateful he was apparently wrong. The man slumped to the floor and the gun clattered next to him. Peter dropped the shield and picked up the gun, hopeful he wouldn't have to use it.

"Peter," came a sudden voice from the basement door. Peter turned to see Piper leaning against the doorway looking at him with awe. She was holding her stomach and blood leaked out slightly between her fingers.

"I had to," Peter said rushing over to help her. "You're hurt."

"Yeah, sorry I didn't get up here faster," Piper said. "I had one more that wouldn't die and he knocked my gun from my hand. And of course I know you had to do that to him. He was shooting at you. I'm just glad you weren't hurt."

"No, but you are," Peter said again as he coaxed her to a nearby toppled chair.

"We don't have time for that," Piper said. "The cops will be alerted to all this noise soon. We have to clear out of here. Is the man ok?"

"No, he didn't make it," Peter said sadly. "But he said something to me. He said "you can't let the Templars have it" and he gave me this key."

"Did he say what it was for?" Piper asked eyeing the key Peter now held up for her.

"No," Peter said.

"Then we'll have to look quickly," Piper said. "Chances are whatever that opens is in the basement. They already searched up here. They were searching the basement when I interrupted them."

"You aren't in any shape to go back down there," Peter said putting the key in his pocket.

"I'll be fine," Piper said already heading back that way. Peter cast a glance at the man he'd knocked out. He had to restrain him somehow in case he woke up again while Piper was in the basement. He looked around and found some curtains lying on the floor having been stripped from the windows. That would have to do. He was worried about Piper, but also worried about the man waking up. He quickly grabbed the curtain and looped them around the man's hands and feet before tying a knot and running downstairs. There were three men down here on the floor, one with his head twisted at an odd angle. Piper was already moving things aside to clear a spot on the floor.

"What did you find?" Peter asked trying not to look at the bodies of the Templars on the ground.

"A hollow spot on the floor," Piper answered. Peter helped her shift some things off the floor. "Something's under here. What did you restrain him with?"

"The Templar upstairs? A curtain."

"Good, we can pin all this on him." Peter nodded as they cleared the last of the rubble. Peter saw one of the planks on the floorboard was loose and he knelt down to lift it up. There was a chest beneath it. Was this the chest William had been looking for?

"Is this it?" Peter asked though he already thought he knew the answer.

"Probably," Piper answered. "Lift the rest of the boards up; we have to get this out of here." Peter and Piper worked quickly to get the other boards up and then lifted the large chest. Piper groaned with pain at the effort; the chest was quite heavy.

"Take it easy," Peter said. "You're injured."

"I'll be ok," Piper said. "We need to get this out of here." With a grunt, Piper and Peter lifted the chest between them and up the stairs. Peter felt bad, but he didn't think he could carry it on his own. Not without doing it very slowly and he already heard sirens off in the distance. They really would have to hurry. Piper quickly untied the man on the ground who was still unconscious and moved a few things around him to make it look like the shield fell on him knocking him out. Peter dragged the chest closer to the door as she moved quickly. She returned and helped him carry the chest out the door and to the car just as the sirens got even closer. They were really pushing it. They loaded the chest in the car and sped off just as the cops turned the corner.


	33. Journals

Author's Note: I don't own any of this history stuff: it's not my creation. It's all from Assassin's Creed video games.

Chapter 33: Journals

Peter and Piper pulled up to the driveway of Daryl's house not long after. Peter had driven back while Piper made sure they weren't being followed. He could tell she was starting to get weaker and he knew he needed to get her to Daryl as quickly as possible so he could help her. He also knew if he drove too quickly or ran red lights, he risked being pulled over and possibly implicating them in the deaths at the bookstore. He pushed it as much as he felt he could without drawing too much attention. When they finally pulled up, he got out quickly and ran up to the door, wrenching it open.

"Daryl, Willow, we need help out here," Peter said before running back over to the car. Piper was already out and making her way toward the chest in the trunk. "You go inside, Piper. Willow and I can get this. You need to let Daryl take care of you."

"I'm ok," Piper said opening the trunk.

"Please," Peter pled. He wasn't even sure how she was moving around still. Before she could even argue, Daryl and Willow walked up to them.

"What happened?" Daryl asked when he saw the blood on Piper.

"The Templars were looking for this at the bookstore and beat us to it," Piper said waving at the chest in the trunk.

"Willow, help me get it inside and we'll tell you more," Peter said. Willow nodded and helped Peter lift the chest out of the trunk while Daryl helped Piper inside. Peter and Willow set the trunk down on the floor next to the coffee table in the living room while Piper sat down on a chair to let Daryl inspect her wound. Daryl went to get the back of first aid supplies they'd just used on Davy while Piper carefully took her shirt off so he could get a better look at her wound when he came back.

"What is this?" Willow asked.

"We aren't sure yet, but the Templars wanted it," Peter answered as Daryl came back in with the first aid kit. "The bookkeeper was killed trying to keep it from their hands. We think your dad was looking for this."

"It's locked," Willow said.

"The bookkeeper gave me a key," Peter said pulling it from his pocket.

"What is that?" Willow asked looking at the ring attached to the key.

"I don't know," Peter said looking at it again. This time he felt a sort of mesmerizing pull; like he couldn't stop looking at it. It almost seemed to glow with a yellow-white light, lighting up the etchings on the thick metal. He shook his head and bent down to unlock the chest. He wasn't sure to expect when he opened it, but inside he found books and other items he didn't know about. He pulled the item on the very top out. It looked like a cuff that goes around someone's wrist, but it was ornately decorated and was made of a sturdy metal and thick leather straps; though it looked aged, it was still in good condition.

"What is that?" Willow asked.

"It looks like a bracer," Piper said as Daryl continued to tend to her.

"What's a bracer?" Willow asked again.

"It's a piece of armor," Peter answered. "Soldiers used to wear them around their dominant wrists to protect them during a battle."

"That looks Renaissance," Daryl said stopping briefly enough to examine it. Peter inspected the bracer further and realized there was some sort of mechanism on the inside. Out of curiosity, he put the bracer on and tried to activate the mechanism by flexing his wrist. A small, but very deadly blade immediately shot out of the metal bracer, startling all of them.

"Oh my God," Piper said with an astonished excitement. "Do you know what that is?!"

"A knife hidden in a bracer?" Peter said though he had a feeling that wasn't really the answer. He quickly took off the weapon and didn't want anything to do with it anymore.

"It's a hidden blade," Daryl said.

"Isn't that what I just said?" Peter asked.

"A hidden blade?" Willow echoed. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Piper said excitedly. Peter was very confused. "Peter, our Assassin ancestors used to use them for most of history. It was only in the last hundred years or so we stopped. When bracers fell out of style and became too obvious. I've never actually seen one in that good of shape. Most are made of pure leather and fall apart within a few decades."

"Well, whoever made that one knew what he was doing," Daryl said. "It definitely looks Renaissance in design. That would make it at least five or six hundred years old."

"Doesn't look it," Willow said taking the hidden blade from him. "Though it does have the Italian Renaissance emblem." She pointed to a symbol etched on the metal that Peter didn't recognize. It was similar to the symbol of the Freemasons, though it only seemed to feature the compass part of the symbol and the ends of the compass part seemed to come together in a way that resembled an eagle's beak.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"The Templars have their Iron Cross as their symbol and we have this emblem," Piper said. "It varies by brotherhood and has changed slightly over the years. We learned about the different symbols as a way to identify ourselves when we travel to other regions and meet up with other brotherhoods."

"Oh," Peter said. He moved his attention back to the rest of the items in the chest. Now most of what he could see were books. He pulled one out and flipped it open. The pages were handwritten and on one side was a language he didn't understand while the other in English. It appeared to be a translation. He read from the page he opened up to and realized he was reading someone's journal. Though he would normally feel as though he were violating someone's privacy, this appeared to be the journal of an Assassin who lived a long time ago.

"What is it?" Piper asked after a few moments.

"Looks like someone translated an Assassin's journal," Peter answered closing the book. He wanted to keep reading, but it appeared that Daryl was finished and he wanted to know how badly she was injured.

"How bad is it?" Willow asked before Peter could; she'd been inspecting the bracer.

"She'll be ok," Daryl said. "The bullet grazed the top of her stomach, but took a good chunk out. She'll be down for a while, too, but will be OK with rest."

"Sorry, Willow," Piper said.

"For what?" Willow asked.

"We're supposed to be following leads on your father and who killed him and why," Piper said. "This chest was as far as we got."

"This chest must be important if he wanted it," Peter said. "There might be something in these journals that could be useful to us."

"Like what?" Daryl asked. "If those journals go with that bracer, they're about events that happened hundreds of years ago. How could they possibly be of use to us now?"

"I don't know, but Peter's right," Willow said. "If my dad was looking for it, it's got to have something important and we just have to figure out what that is."

"But we don't have time," Piper sighed. "We need to find Micky and the others. And I don't know if I can keep up with that."

"I can," Willow said. "I can continue following up on leads."

"Are you sure?" Piper asked.

"Yes," Willow answered. "I've had a couple days to grieve."

"That's not really a lot," Peter said.

"It doesn't matter," Willow said. "We're stuck now. Piper, you stay here and rest, I can go out and look for Micky."

"So can I," Daryl said.

"What about Davy?" Peter asked.

"You can stay here and read those journals while taking care of Davy and Piper," Daryl said.

"Then it's settled," Willow said. "Piper, you should get some sleep. The adrenaline that kept you going is gonna wear off any moment now."

"She's right," Daryl said. "I'll give you a dose of morphine and you should get some sleep."

"Alright," Piper said seeming weaker again. "But we all should get some sleep. You two don't know what you'll run into tomorrow and you need to be on par, too."

"Of course," Willow said. She put the bracer back in the chest and Daryl gave Piper the shot of morphine before helping her to her bed. Peter assured her he'd go to bed soon, but he wanted to look at the chest for a bit more. He reopened the journal to the first page and sat on the floor. He found himself soon getting lost in the world in the journal. It was from a man named Altair, an Assassin from what Peter could tell was the Crusades. He had grown up in a castle at Masyaf, a small village near Damascus and Jerusalem. His father was betrayed by a fellow Assassin and killed by the Saracen army at a young age. The Assassin then killed himself in front of a young Altair out of guilt and remorse leaving behind his own young son, Abbas. The pair of orphaned boys were raised by the Assassin Brotherhood and were close friends until Altair tried to tell the truth about the death of Abbas's father, after which the young boy turned on him and tried to kill him.

In their adult years, Altair grew to be a master Assassin, one of the best of his order. He was sent to retrieve an artifact from beneath Jerusalem with two other Assassin's, Malik and his brother. On the mission, Altair said he failed and Malik's brother was killed. At the time, he'd thought that both were killed and the artifact was lost to the Templars, who had gotten there first, led by a man named Robert de Sable. However, when he reported his failure to his Master, Al Mualim, he discovered that Malik had made it out alive with the artifact, but missing an arm. Because of his failures, Altair was nearly killed and demoted. He said he had lost what it meant to be an Assassin. He had to re-learn. His mentor sent him on missions killing men across the land to relearn the tenets of the Order. Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent; he had killed an innocent priest in Jerusalem. Hide in plain sight; he had been over-confident and had drawn attention to himself before he was ready to strike Robert de Sable. Never compromise the Brotherhood; he had allowed his brothers to die due to his over-confidence and led the Templars back to Masyaf, the Assassin stronghold. Now he would work to re-learn what these tenets meant and the overall creed: nothing is true, everything is permitted.

Altair killed several bad men in his attempt to redeem himself. Garnier de Nablus who called himself a doctor, but brutally experimented on his "patients" even going so far as to cripple them if they tried to escape. William of Montferrat who murdered over 3,000 Saracen prisoners meant to be exchanged for Crusader prisoners and enjoyed the murders far too much. Sibrand who secured the port of Acre and prevented any supplies from being sent to the Crusaders in order for the Templars to gain control of the land. Tamir who sold weapons to the Crusaders, but would brutally murder any merchant or artisan who defied him or didn't meet his demands. Talal: a slaver, Majd Addin; a brutal man who murdered those who did not agree with him, Jubair al Hakim: burned scrolls and forbade education, and Abu'l Nuqoud: a merchant who murdered rivals and friends alike. Altair learned later that all of these men were Templars working directly under Robert de Sable to regain the artifact they lost to the Assassins beneath Jerusalem.

Peter hadn't realized how long he'd been reading. He was so deeply entrenched in the adventures of this man and wondered if this artifact he spoke of, an apple, as he called it occasionally, was one of the artifacts that Robert now wanted Ginny to get for him. It seemed likely, but so far Altair hadn't spoken much about the artifact other than when he had first seen it in Jerusalem and had been slightly mesmerized by its apparent glow. If this had been what William was looking for when he died, perhaps he knew that these journals contained information about the locations of other artifacts. Though Peter wasn't sure how that could be useful to them, he intended to find out. The bookkeeper had died to keep these from the Templars. Peter wouldn't just let that go. He thought he'd only been reading for an hour or so and was pulled out of his thoughts when Piper said something to him from the hallway.

"Peter, you need to get some sleep," Piper said softly.

"Oh, right," Peter said. "Just another couple minutes."

"No, Peter," Piper said. "Now. You've been reading that stuff long enough. Come to bed."

"I have?" Peter looked at his watch. It was 3 am. He'd been reading these journals for nearly 5 hours. "Whoa."

"Yes, come to bed please," Piper said.

"Right, let me help you first," Peter said closing the book and getting up. His legs were stiff but he stretched a little and walked back over to Piper.

"Come to bed with me," Piper said softly when he approached her.

"What?"

"Peter, I was so scared when I heard those gunshots…I thought I had lost you. I can't sleep knowing how much danger I put you in tonight."

"I went willingly. And there's no way you could have known what would happen."

"I know that. Just come sleep with me, ok? Just so I can know you're ok."

"Of course," Peter answered after a moment. Piper smiled at him and they walked off to her bed. He helped her under the sheets before joining her. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. He'd never really slept in the same bed as a woman before and felt nervous. But after a few moments, he realized how comfortable this felt. He fell asleep quickly, not even having realized how tired he was. In the morning, he'd read the journals again, hoping that they'd somehow lead him to an answer; some way to help his friends.


End file.
